The Dog Days of a Shinobi
by JAYSEN
Summary: Taken from my Den of Foxes Universe...The fourth shinobi war is over and the last survivor has nothing left but to wait for death...or does he? Rated M just to be safe, pairings not set in stone.
1. Chapter 1

_This is JAYSEN with another brainchild that I had to let out of it's cage! I essentially took the Anime Series Dog Days and mixed it with my O.C from my Den of Foxes fic and foretold this...grim alternate future in which he is the only survivor of the Fourth and Last Great Shinobi War. With nothing left, he gets dragged along for the ride into another world and in to new adventures, along with finding a new purpose to live and fight for..._

_**BATTLEFIELD FORMERLY KNOWN AS KONOHA**_

It was like Armageddon had just occured. The sky was dark, with storm clouds looming above the battleground littered with corpses, save one man. What had happened was noting short of the end all, be all of war in the shinobi nations. Oto had succeeded in lobbying together with the criminal organization known as the Akatsuki, who in turn invoked various forbidden jutsu to raise an army to fight for total conquest of the shinobi world. The Five Great Shinobi Nations had fought valiantly, especially the Uzumaki of Konoha, but were ultimately overwhelmed. Sasuke Uchiha betrayed his own village years before for power and had joined another traitor, Orochimaru, for power. He then betrayed Orochimaru and assimilated him.

Another traitor had made himself known after his eventual prison break. Kakashi Hatake was known as one of the finest shinobi Konoha ever produced, with a nearly squeaky clean service record to his name and a rather impressive resume. He was also one of the youngest ANBU Captains in history, next to Itachi Uchiha, as well as one of the youngest Genin, Chuunin, and Jounin. However, his personal life was what led to his downfall. His father was the great Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang. After a botched mission and the sudden death of his mother, his father commited suicide, but he was picked up by the man who would one day become the mightiest Hokage of them all, Minato Namikaze. He saw that man as his own father and did his best to please him, but after Minato took on a full team and started dating Kushina Uzumaki, he was forced to do something he despised...Share.

He felt as if he was being cast away in his poor, deluded mind, but the reality was that Minato was being fair in his treatment of his team and he was deeply in love with Kushina. One of his teammates was a fangirl of his, named Rin, but in love with her was a boy known as Obito Uchiha, the most un-Uchiha there ever was. He was chronically late, but for good reasons. He was an all around good kid who got a sense of fulfillment from helping people, something Kakashi saw as weak. Anyway, even though he held no feelings for Rin, he still saw her as his in a disturbingly obsessive manner and saw Obito as a threat. On top of that, he overheard Minato saying that he wished Obito had rubbed off on him a little.

Kakashi took this as a direct insult and as a threat to his value as a person. During a rescue in the heart of the Third Shinobi War, he saw a chance to be rid of him. They had fought an Iwa nin who was infamous for killing people with cave-ins and used that excuse to crush his competition. He didn't expect to lose an eye in the process, but he took advantage of Obito's kindness and gained one of his Sharingan eyes to replace the one he'd lost. He hit a snag in one of his plans when Obito professed that he was madly in love with Rin and she reciprocated his feelings to the point that Kakashi was no longer an issue. He felt that he simply needed time with her and move along to his next obstacle, Kushina.

It wasn't long after the war ended that his beloved sensei and the woman he despised were married. On top of that, she was pregnant a year later with their first child. He planned on killing her that night and making it look like complications in childbirth, but Madara Uchiha beat him to it when he tried to wrangle the Kyuubi into his thrall again. The beast was under control again and sealed once more, but the man he worshipped had given his life to do it and sealed it within his own son. On top of that, Kushina mysteriously disappeared that night and he suspected that she died, leaving the infant Naruto all alone and defenseless.

He would have moved in a killed the child outright had Rin not taken it upon herself to help raise and care for the infant Jinchuuriki. Rin adored Kushina and saw her as a surrogate mother, so she felt honored to look after her self proclaimed baby sibling. He couldn't kill the child since doing so would land him in shit so deep he'd drown, so he ignored the boy, hoping that the villagers would do the job for him. It nearly succeeded when Naruto was in his second to last year in the Academy. The boy was truly brave when he rushed into a burning Academy to rescue students that had been trapped and was nearly killed, but another obstacle appeared out of nowhere...Ichigo.

He saved Naruto from death in the building and continued to be a thorn in his side ever since. Soon after he arrived, he and Rin started dating and fell in love with each other, something that made him want to kill everyone in sight, but he had to bide his time and even set up a farce that he was a friend. He couldn't keep it up for long, especially when Kushina suddenly came back. His old hatred began to flare up uncontrollably and blew his cover after their team's first missions away from home. He knew he had to work quickly, so he attempted to sabotage Ichigo's relationship with Rin by spreading lies. She exposed tha lies for the falsehoods they were and it drove her deeper into his enemy's arms, to the point that Ichigo proposed marriage to her and she accepted!

He felt his world crumbling away beneath him and he was despreate for revenge. He found a weak point, Rin's best friend Airi was also in love with Ichigo and used that to his advantage when he used a Genjutsu on her to sleep with him and drive them apart, which ended in failure. Then...He tried to kill Kushina personally, but she was proving too tough, even when poisoned. She held out long enough for her family to find them and take him down hard. From there he was put in prison for a sentence of up to 30 years for attempted murder of a clan head. It was there that he grew to despise and loathe Konoha. He was eventually broken out of prison by his old Genin student, Sasuke Uchiha, who needed people to help him destroy Konoha. He wholeheartedly agreed, leading up to this current point in time.

The battle was long and brutal, many of the friends and allies of the Uzumaki falling in battle one after another. Kushina herself had been killed by Kakashi, who was killed by Rin, with an added sense of poetic justice. She was followed by Anko, Naruto and his three wives, Sakura, Hinata, and Ino. Haku fell as well, but he took Zetsu of the Akatsuki down with him before he died, putting an end to the clone army of Zetsu's. Rin and Airi Uzumaki died together after they killed off Kabuto, dying slowly from his deadly toxins. Their death did have meaning, as they managed to put an end to the undead army Kabuto had summoned.

"We both love you...We will never leave you and will be in your heart forever..." Rin choked out before death claimed her, Airi doing so moments before.

A sword impaled Airi's corpse. It was Sasuke's Kusanagi. He had been wanting the Holy Blade Ichigo wielded since he first laid eyes on it and would now pry it from his cold, dead hands.

Ichigo wasted no words in engaging him, starting a vicious battle that ended in a flash and the once proud Uchiha prodigy headless, carved into pieces. Madara Uchiha was nothing if not an opportunist, choosing this moment to attack the weakened Ichigo. Sakuhime, his friend, his confidante, and resident inner Angel, came out and did the unthinkable...She had sacrificed her soul to save her friend, whom she admitted she was in love with since she first met him. She sacrificed her soul to seal Madara Uchiha away forever in Hell while she returned to heaven, but left him with her holy chakra.

_**"So that...A piece of me...will always be with you..."**_ She told him before she vanished forever.

A great howl of sadness and pain escaped his throat. His wives...His family...His friends...And Sakuhime were all gone, and he was all alone in the world now. He slung the Ensis Celesti onto his back and gathered the bodies of his loved ones, giving them proper and loving burials. Just before he began to bury them, a bright vortex opened near him and he drew his sword in a flash, ready to evicerate anyone or anything that dared to disturb his mourning.

Out of the vortex, came a dog holding a dagger and a blond haired boy in what looked to be a school uniform from the world he originally came from years ago. He lowered his guard slightly, but was still on edge until he called out to man, noticing that he was wounded.

"Hey! Are you alri..." The words died in his throat as he saw corpses all around as well as fresh graves, including one that had been hacked to pieces. The boy had to fight back the urge to vomit at the sight of all the carnage. He then noticed that there were graves that this man had apparently dug out to bury his comrades.

"They're gone..." Ichigo muttered sadly.

"What...happened here?" The boy asked, starting to become very frightened.

"War. No one won." He replied.

"Do you...want some help?" The boy offered kindly, despite his fear.

"Thank you." Was all he said as they carefully loaded the bodies into the graves, Ichigo using a minor Doton jutsu to fill them in. The boy was shocked but it was explained to be Ninjutsu.

"You're...a ninja?" He asked.

"Yes. I was. Not anymore...Not after this..." He replied, gesturing all around.

"Did you...know them?" He asked.

Ichigo could only nod at first before explaining.

"My mother, brothers, sister, their wives and her husband, friends, and finally, my two wives, Rin and Airi. I have...nothing now." The tall blond man choked, stopping before he lost control of his emotions.

The boy could only bow his head in respect for the dead, the dog surprizingly doing the same.

"Where will you go now?" The boy asked.

"I don't know." Was all the tall man said.

The dog tugged at the boy's pant leg. It was time to go. They were only there due to a slight mistake, anyway. Another vortex opened up and the dog and boy faced it.

"I have to go now. What is your name? Mine is Shinku Izumi." The now named boy offered.

"I'm...Ichigo Uzumaki. Good luck where you're going, kid." Ichigo said, bidding the boy farewell.

The boy and dog stepped into the vortex, but something went wrong. Tendrils reached out and grabbed the grieving shinobi and dragged him along for the ride. When the vortex closed, sunlight broke out through the clouds, illuminating the graves. It was as if his loved ones were blessing him from above...

_**FLONYARD**_

_**BISCOTTI REPUBLIC **_

_**FILIANNO CASTLE**_

The battle wasn't going very well for the Republic of Biscotti. Galette, their sister nation, was steadily pushing them back to the castle walls and it wouldn't be much longer now until the enemy breached the castle. On a hill behind the castle and away from the battle, a girl, the princess with bright pink hair, was racing up the steps as if she were waiting for something to come. There was something peculiar about this princess. While a beautiful girl of fourteen, she had canine like ears and a tail, both of a matching pink color.

That aside, she was awaiting the results of the Hero Summoning. She had managed to convince her council that it was their only option to avoid occupation at this point in the war against their neighbor, Galette. She had invoked the magic and sent her faithful dog familiar, Tatsumaki, into the portal to retrieve the hero they so desperately needed. Their battles had thus far been lost and they were losing ground at an alarming pace. Their knights fought hard and bravely, but they would not stop the onslaught of their enemies.

As she ascended the steps, she saw a pillar of light descend from the sky to the hill she was bound for and she hastened her pace. The hero she had summoned was descending as planned, but there was something amiss. Only the hero was supposed to show up, but there were two people falling from the sky. Up in the sky, Shinku as screaming his head off while Ichigo was trying to think of a way to get them out of this when a something enveloped them and lowered them to the ground safely.

The princess was elated to see the pod open, but was then surprized. One was a blond boy she had seen through her stargazing, but the other person that helped him to his feet was a mystery. He was very tall, had blond hair like her hero, Heterochromic eyes of blue and green, and was dressed strangely. He had on a blue longsleeved shirt and matching pants that were tattered and torn with a green vest on over that, covered by a long and flowing overcoat that was currently open and equally tattered. He wore sandals, had a pouch of some kind taped to his thigh with another on his hip. He had on some armor, like his cracked greaves and forearm plates, fingerless gloves with metal plates on the back, along with somekind of headband with a metal plate that bore the insignia of a spiral leaf. The look was completed by his two swords. One was around three feet and standard for a blade, but the other was massive and bigger than she was, but the aura the scary blade was giving off was...holy and divine in nature. On top of all that, he had blood on him, both from a wound and smeared on his clothes.

She decided to go ahead and introduce herself since he didn't look hostile.

"My name is Millhiore Filliano Biscotti..." She said, launching into a full explaination as to who she is and where they are, as well as what Shinku was supposed to be doing there. However, the mention of war with their neighbor made him go rigid. The fact that she mentioned they were losing and the enemy was right there at their gates didn't help.

"Oh my...Is there something wrong?" She asked him, concern in her voice.

"Not again...I won't let this happen again...I will not let them do this!" He stuttered, then snarled as he took off at a rapid clip down to the battlefield, faster than they could see.

"W-Where is he going?" She asked, startled by the display, which prompted Shinku to grimly explain a bit of where Tatsumaki first brought them by mistake and...how they found him. The princess broke into tears when she hear what he'd been through and sought to rush her now other hero through his indoc while they hopped on her personal Cellkull _**(Chocobo-like animal)**_ raced to reach Ichigo. She explained what the wars really were in their world as well as giving a brief explaination of both kingdoms.

"Oh no...He misunderstood. He probably thought that what happened to his people might happen here if he doesn't do something!" Shinku realised.

"We need to hurry, then." Millhi said, urging Harlan, her mount, to go faster.

"What is it you want me to do?" Shinku asked as they raced down to the castle.

"I summoned you to help us in our time of need." She explained.

"But why? Ichigo's a warrior, not me. I'm only a Junior High student." He replied.

"Don't be so modest! I know what you can do." She encouraged him.

_**BATTLE GROUND**_

_**FORT MION**_

Down on the battlefield, Biscotti forces were desperately trying to repel the invaders, but were barely managing that. Their foes were driven, no bones about it. They were at one of the final lines of defense and were in the process of breeching it.

On a hilltop not too far from the main fight, a group on their mounts watched the progrss of their warriors with satisfaction.

"The attack on the fortress is going well. At this rate..." The large man, Godwin, paused as he watched the fort's gates swing open and allow a torrent of his soldiers inside.

"Alright. Begin an immeadiate advance from the gates on in." The girl next to him, the princess of Galette, Leonmichelle Galette des Rois, ordered. Godwin acknowledged the order and set to work immeadiately. She then turned to the foot soldiers behind her.

"Troops! We will be going in now! Today is the day we make that Dog Princess and her soldiers cry!" She yelled, getting a resounding cheer from her troops as they charged in headlong.

On the Biscotti side, they were digging in and getting ready to defend the fortress. A shower of arrows were pelting down on them, but before they got too close, a roaring voice rang out.

_**FUUTON : DAITOPPA!**_

A massive gale of wind blew the arrows away from them and saved them. They looked around for the owner of the voice to find a strange blond man with a massive Zweihander _**(The real style of blade that the Ensis Celesti is.)**_ out, in a defensive posture. The Head of the Knights approached him cautiously.

"Hello? Who are you?" Rolan asked, his lance at the ready.

"I'm here to help you. The tragedy that heppened to my people and family WON'T happen here. Come Hell or high water, I won't let it happen." Ichigo growled out as he threw himself at the opposing forces with a ferver.

The first opponent he came across was overpowering a defender, when Ichigo forcefully disloged him with a snap kick to his ribs and turned to the embattled soldier.

"You okay?" He asked, looking at the person he downed only to find a ball of fur with cat ears and a tail.

"What the hell?" He muttered, but Rolan had caught up to explain things to him. He launched into a full explaination of what battle was like in areas with Flonya Power flowing through them. The soldiers were protected and when defeated, they would turn into fluff balls until it wore off or they recovered.

"Is that so? Still...I'm at your service." Ichigo declared, to which Rolan grinned.

"That's good to hear. We could use a warrior of your experience and skill. However, shouldn't you see to that wound?" He replied as Shinku showed up in his full gear, along with the Holy Sword Palladion. He had received a royal makeover from the maids of the castle while Millhi bestowed upon him his weapon, one of the two Holy Weapons of the Kingdom of Biscotti. She was rather rushed, but got him ready to go in a pinch.

"You're looking good, kid." Ichigo replied as he regarded Rolan again.

"My wound is minor. I've fought with far worse." He answered Rolan as he turned to Shinku again.

"So...A staff? Not a bad choice. You any good with it?" He asked, to which Shinku pit on a small display of prowess, making the veteran whistle.

"Not bad, kid...Not bad at all. Wanna kick this fight off right?" He asked with a smirk. The boy nodded, wanting to see what his new friend could do. He flipped through handseals for one of his more precise Wind jutsu that was less costly on his already taxed reserves and aimed at a cluster of Galette soldiers.

_**FUUTON : RENKUUDAN!**_

He inhaled a large breath and punched himself in the stomach, spitting out a huge blast of wind that impacted center mass of the crowd, throwing them every which way and transforming them all.

"Over thirty in one blow...Impressive." Rolan commented with an approving nod, impressed with what he just saw.

"Wow...How did you DO that? That was cool!" Shinku gushed, sadly reminding him of his late younger brother, Naruto.

"It was Ninjutsu, like before. I'll explain more later. Let's go, kid. We have work to do." He said, his gaze hardening. He was relieved that the same fate that befell Konoha and the Elemental nations wouldn't happen here, but he still took this very seriously. He was given a new purpose and he'd perform like never before.

"I do have one favor to ask of you two. Look after my little sister, Eclaire, on the frontlines for me, okay?" Rolan requested, describing what she looks like.

"Sure. We'll keep our eyes out for her." Ichigo replied as he thought to himself.

_'On the honor of my family, friends, allies, and as a Jounin of Konoha...'_ He thought as he threw himself into the fray, fighting like an Angel of Vengence.

He was like a human buzzsaw with how he handled his large sword. It was massive in size, but he wielded it as if it weighed nothing. Shinku was like a blond hurricane with his staff, taking down any opponent that came near him with a certain finesse and pizazz that was a nice contrast to his partner's sheer force and stone cold skill but both were highly skilled with their weapons. The effects of two man counter-attack were immeadiately felt within the Galette forces as their numbers were being whittled down quickly, the Biscotti forces gaining morale from the efforts of the two golden haired heroes. Together, they began to push back with all of their might and repelled the invaders from Fort Mion.

Above the fortress, the sportscaster was busy making his report on this newest development on the battlefield. The man with auburn hair tied back into a ponytail introduced himeself.

_"Hello! This is Framboise Charles, reporting live from the Galette Republic of Lions! Additional commentaries will be provided by General Bernard..."_ He said, introducing the man with long blond hair next to him.

_"Hi."_ Bernard said genially with a wave to the camera.

_"And we have here Princess Leo's personal aide, the lovely Miss Violle."_ Framboise said, introducing the woman at the end. She had short purplr hair with long bangs and blue eyes.

_"Hello."_ She greeted pleasantly with a friendly wave.

_"Now...We had the Knights of Galette advancing on Fort Mion when we last left you..."_ He paused as he took a look at the scoreboard again, completely shocked. He then looked down at the entrance to Fort Mion and saw that Galette was being routed through the efforts of two warriors, some of them careening over the walls like they'd been shot out of a cannon. Bernard and Violle were certainly impressed with these two. No one in their army except maybe Godwin or the princess herself were capable of that much brute power.

_"A-Amazing! Those two mysterious warriors have completely turned the tide of the battle on their own and Galette's forces are being put to rout! Who are these amazing fighters? They're so fast that the camera crews are havign a hard time keeping up with them." _Framboise commented in awe until he was handed a breaking report. He read it and his eyes widend and ear perked up.

_"We have a late breaking report from Filianno Castle! It seems as though Princess Millhiore has perfromed the Hero Summoning, but something went wrong with it! Instead of one hero, TWO arrived! Their names are Ichigo Uzumaki and Shinku Izumi and they are really taking care of business down there! They have pushed Galette back to the Lake Filianno Field in a matter of moments!"_ He exclaimed. He then looked to the Galette lines to see how the Princess Leo was taking this, but she had a rather proud comment.

_"I'll take on any comer! I'll send 'em packin'!" _She declared.

"_Ooh! Strong words from a strong lady! Let hope we get some good footage of the heroes and the princess if they ever scrap! Now, on to the rest of the battle_

Further up in the lines of defense, a green haired girl was watching the two as they quickly and effortlessly navigated the obstacles, the taller one moving in a blur and the shorter one not far behind him. Suddenly, the taller one stopped and waved for his younger companion to halt as well. She then saw him weave through different handsigns and the water below them seemed to rise at his command.

_**SUITON : SUIRYUUDAN!**_

The water shaped itself into a writhing dragon and hurled itself at a large group that was attempting to cross the field, wiping them all out in a single blow.

_'Wha...How in the world did he do that? I saw no Seal Crest or spell!'_ She exclaimed mentally.

However, Eclaire paid for her inattentiveness as a Galette soldier was chambering a Knockout Blow. However, in a flash, she was moved out of the way and in the arms of the taller blond while the shorter one took out the enemy. All that was seen was her vanishing in a puff of smoke and replaced with a log.

"Sugoi...I'll never stop being amazed with all of those Ninja skills!" Shinku gushed.

"It's cool, kid. Maybe I'll teach you a few things once this battles over." Ichigo replied.

Eclaire was beginning to get a bit ruffled still being in Ichigo's arms and ignored, but before she could call out, he turned to her.

"Hey, you alright? You can still fight?" He asked, making her color a bit.

"Uh...Y-yeah...I can. Could you put me down now?" She replied, surprized at herself for stuttering, to which he complied.

"Are you Eclaire?" Ichigo asked her.

"Yes...How did you know my name?" She asked back.

"Your brother, Rolan, asked us to keep an eye out for you and watch your back." Ichigo replied.

"Yeah...Try to be more careful, alright?" Shinku joked, lightly, making her scowl at him.

As they stood there, there was a massive force of Galette soldiers charging up at them. Eclaire turned toward Ichigo.

"That technique...Could you do it again?" She asked, to which he shook his head.

"No...My chakra is nearly dried up. I need a chance to rest for a few moments...to get some of it back." He replied, his face showing the strain and some blood leaking from the wound in his side.

"You came out here hurt? Here, let me check!" She exclaimed.

"No...Just...take care of them. I'll be fine with a little rest. I have a little in reserve to use Injutsu on myself, but that's it. I shouldn't have used those three jutsu before...Now, I'm near useless." He muttered as he went through a few more handsigns, making his hand glow green as he passed it over the wound. As he did this, the blood was beginning to slow to a halt and the skin beginning to mend. He would have used his Holy Chakra, but that was already gone for now and needed to recharge. She was about to ask how he did it when he pointed to the mass of troops that were inbound.

"That reminds me...The Princess wanted you to show me some seal...thing." Shinku mentioned.

"The Seal Cannon?"

"Yeah, that! She said that you were one of the best at it and could teach me how." He replied, the princess's kind words making her blush slightly as she went over the mechanics of using the Seal Cannon. Finally, they were ready and launched out a blast that rivaled one of his Karyuu Endan's in size and power. It completely obliterated the attacking force in one shot, much to Shinku's surprize.

"Awesome! It's like one of those ninja spells that Ichigo-san uses!" Shinku exclaimed in awe, but Eclaire brought him back down to earth.

"Yes. It's a powerful tool, but be careful. Master class warriors and knights wearing heavy armor can deflect or outright nullify them. But, most importantly..." She said, pausing.

"It tires us out. I get it." He replied.

"So be careful when using it."

"Yeah! I will!" He grinned, like a child would when they get a new toy to play with.

Ichigo saw his enthusiasm and couldn't help but give a sad chuckle. "He really reminds me of Naruto...Kami rest his soul..."

Suddenly, an emerald green blast of energy came screaming at them, but Eclaire was able to intercept it in time. She was struggling with it but managed to deflect it while beign knocked over atop of Shinku.

"Damn...What was that?" Ichigo muttered, trying to see through the dust that was kicked up, seeing a person there.

"I came here expecting the fight of my life, but this...This is disappointing. You're all merely henchmen for that Dog Princess." The young woman commented with a scoff. He got a good look at her as Eclaire clarified who that was with a gasp.

"Princess Leonmichelle!" She exclaimed.

"A Princess? From their side?" Shinku asked, but was cut off by the young woman wagging a finger at them.

"It troubles me to be called a mere Princess." She said, crossing her arms under her considerable bust.

"I am Leonmichelle Galette des Rois, King of the Galette Lion Knight Kingdom, as well as the Knight of the King of Beasts! Call me Your Majesty, you insolent curs!" She yelled, flaring up her Seal behind her from her mount for effect.

"Not too modest, is she?" Ichigo commented dryly as he continued to heal his wound.

"Now...Please allow me to advance." She said as she spurred her mount toward the front lines.

Eclaire tried stand up, but Shinku was still holding on to her, trying to get up at the same time. As he tried to push her off, he felt...something odd on her chest. He squeezed again to be sure

"You're a girl?" He said as a look of total shock overcame her.

Ichigo sighed in disgust where he sat.

"Man...Just plain clueless..." He groaned as his palm met his face.

_'He thought I was a BOY?'_ She thought as she shook herself out of it to say something, but all that came to mind was...

"YOU PERVERT!" She bellowed, sending him airborn with a powerful punch to the face.

_"Oh! An internal conflict, perhaps?"_ Framboise commented.

_"Is this new Hero actually quite stupid to not notice something like that?"_ Violle added as they cut back to the Princess's advance on the fort.

Leo was currently mounted and negotiating one of the obstacles while being shot at by archers. She stopped, summoning her weapon and spun it rapidly in front of her, using it as a shield. After she deflected the arrows, she then threw it like a boomerang, taking out the archers in one fell swoop. She then advanced onward to the next area, the slippery ground and suspention bridge area. Inside, several soldiers were trying to climb out, but the Biscotti soldiers were dragging them back down and keeping them from advancing.

"Run through it!" She urged her mount, who squawked in response and poured of the speed in they attempted to vault the area, but was forgetting one thing.

"FAT CHANCE!" Shinku and Eclaire bellowed as they pelted for the ramp to the bridge and vaulted up to clash with the princess...Only to fail when she saw them coming and lept from her Cellkull and let the collide. She then summoned her axe and fired a blast at them to keep them off balance. The Cellkull landed at the opposide end and tossed a shield to her before she landed, ready for combat.

Shinku and Eclaire landed in a rather comprimising position with him on top and almost face first into her chest.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Did your mom drop you on your head or something? Why can't you be more like that other guy, Ichi-whatever?" Eclaire berated him.

"Hey! Ichigo-aniki is like this super cool ninja and I'm just a middle school student! What do you expect?" He shot back.

As the two bickered, Princess Leo was ready to launch them into the next Kingdom, her aura flaring brightly behind her. She then slammed her axe into the ground, her seal forming around it.

_**LION KING ROUND SEAL!**_

Pillars of flame erupted around her, taking out chunks of the ground and making them rain down, further eliminating more soldiers from both sides. The pair lept out of the smoke and debris and landed beyond the destruction.

"Seal spells can be that powerful?" Shinku asked in awe.

"Princess Leo is on an etirely different level! If you don't want to get beaten, escape for now!" Eclaire yelled, the two of them beating a hasty retreat as more flames began to chase them.

_'Oh no, you don't...'_ She thought as she gathered even more power to channel it all into one of her most powerful attacks.

_**GIGANTIC EXPLOSION!**_

Ichigo saw the explosion from where he was trying to recover and grit his teeth.

"That chick's playing a little too rough...I'd better go put a stop to it." He grimaced as he stood up. He wasn't 100%, but it would get him through the rest of the battle, along with the chakra he managed to recover. His recovery rate was similar to Naruto's in the fact that they could be fully spent, but after a short break, they'd be ready for action again.

However, his forward progress was halted by a one of Leo's top generals, Godwin himself. The Lion-like man was easily his height with a powerful build and equally itimidating axe with a large steel ball at the end of it.

"Ahh...You must be one of the two heroes that Princess Millhiore summoned. I am Godwin Dorure, a General of the Galette Knights and you must be Ichigo Uzumaki! I saw you fight and I have to say that I am impressed with your strength and skill! I would like to take you on myself, then I can say that I defeated a hero on my own!" The large man roared with a hearty laugh as he swung his large ball around and flung it at the wounded Jounin.

Luckily, Godwin had never dealt with anyone as fast and as quick on their feet as a shinobi, so Ichigo was easily able to evade his strike. The cycle of wind up, strike, and recovery took little more that a few seconds for the powerful Lion-man, but a few seconds is an eternity when fighting a ninja, especially a Jounin and former ANBU Captain. He was able to draw his Holy Balde and strike back in half a heartbeat, his consecutive strikes putting the massive man on the defensive.

"Outta the way! I need to reach the kids and see if they're alright!" Ichigo yelled, starting to get angry.

Godwin was also a highly experienced soldier and warrior, so he was able to at least put into a stalemate and lock him up slightly.

"Ha! This was an excellent fight! I have never been pushed so hard in battle before now and you really are a powerful opponent! Leo-hime must have finished those two by now and this fight must end now. I win!" He said in a booming voice as he tried to bear down with all of his strength, but again, he underestimated the power and craftiness of the shinobi and it was going to cost him dearly. He had a flashback of Sasuke's gloating over the bodies of his two wives, still fresh in his mind, and...

He snapped.

Ichigo's hand snaked to his reserve blade, the Chakra Fang, and unsheathed it with lightning speed, bringing it up to Godwin's throat.

"I don't think so. Put the weapon down with your head on or off. NOW!" He ordered at the top of his lungs, his mismatched eyes burning with barely restrained rage.

Godwin had never dealt with an opponent that had been so enraged plus he had a razor sharp blade touching his throat, so he quickly dropped his weapon and stepped away. The rest of the Galette troops edged in to attack, but Godwin halted them.

"He...defeated me fairly. He was the better warrior this time and you all wouldn't stand a chance." Godwin ordered his men to stand down, seeing Ichigo's rage fade away and resheathe his swords.

"Hang in there, kids...I'm on my way." The blond shinobi said as he turned his back to the and vanished in a column of water.

_"Amazing! Simply astonishing! General Godwin has been defeated and his forces are withdrawing from the battle! Hero Ichigo fought like a man possessed, trying to reach and assist his comrades with inspiring conviction, and now he simply disappeared in a column of water that appeared from nowhere! He really is a mystery, but one thing is certain...He is truly a force to be reckoned with!" _ Framboise exclaimed.

_"Indeed...He is a truly formidable enemy. He managed to match Godwin blow for blow after being tired and injured, then he managed to force him to surrender with a second, hidden blade. He kept his secondary weapon hidden until he needed it and surprized his opponent with it to end the fight quickly." _Bernard commented on his tactics.

_"That's true, but he seemed to have snapped down there. He was trying to reach his comrades to help them but Godwin stood in his way. The way he quickly and efficiently took him down shows that he has a fierce loyalty to his comrades and is willing to do what ever it takes to protect them. An admirable trait."_ Violle added on his character appraisingly.

_"Indeed. Now, we come back to the battle involving the team of Countess Martinozzi and Hero Shinku, versus Princess Leonmichelle!" _Framboise announced, turning back to the fight.

Back in Filliano Castle, Millhi watched the fight with bated breath. Godwin was widely and rightly feared on the battlefield, but Ichigo took him on while wounded without the slightest bit of fear, reacting with the kind of courage she grew up believeing a hero should have. She was even more elated when he seized victory over the feared General of the Lions, but what worried her was how Ichigo snapped suddenly. She couldn't really blame him for it after she heard from Shinku what he'd been through. She felt honored that he was willing to fight his heart out and lay down his life to protect them from the fate that befell his people.

_'Now...I hope Shinku and Eclaire are still okay...'_ She murmured as she strained her eyes for any sign of her other hero and guard captain.

The dust was settling as Leo surveyed the damage she caused. The area they were in was now a giant crater, littered with furballs from both Biscotti and from Galette as she looked up to the announcers screen.

"Hey, Framboise! Did the Hero and Droopy Ears die or what?" She asked.

_"Oh, right! Now let me see here..."_ He said, looking around for any traces of the two.

High above them, Shinku and Eclaire had used the explosive force to lift them high above the battlefield and out of harm's way, but they were now plummeting back down to the ground.

"We'll never be beaten that easily!" Eclaire shouted.

"Hey...Isn't this too high up?" Shinku exclaimed as the announcer coaught sight of them.

_"There they are! They've managed to escape the blast, but at this rate, they are highly vulnerable to Her Majesty's attacks!"_ Framboise reported, Leo's grin becoming feral as she eagerly awaited their return to the ground.

"I don't want to share the credit with you, but she will kick both our butts if we don't face her together!" The droopy eared girl proposed.

"Are you saying we should work together?" He asked in bewilderment.

"Yes! Now, let's do this." She said as she spun in mid-air and used a bicycle kick to launch him down at the waiting Princess, who looked like a hungry lioness in her den.

"Crazy girl!" He shouted at her as he careened down toward the waiting young woman.

The two met with clashed weapons and a brilliant burst of power, but she repelled him and he flipped away. Before she could chamber another blow, Eclaire landed right behind her, her twin short swords poised to strike. The two dashed in from opposite directions and she managed to catch the blows, but her weapon suffered for it. Now weaponless, the two crossed again, striking true this time, just as Ichigo arrived at the battlefield to see her go down, her armor shattered and leaving behind a rather revealing ensemble.

"Good job, you two. Just goes to show you what you can do when you're not arguing." He smirked.

"I really underestimated you two, the midget and the Droopy Ears there." She sighed and continued.

"I _can _continue like this...But it would be way too much fanservice if I did, so I concede." She declared as she struck a pose, trying to look sexy and succeeding if the slight bloody noses on the furballs and Shinku were any indicator.

"Eh?" Was all Shiku could say as fireworks began to launch in celebration of their victory.

_"Unbelieveable! Princess Leo has been defeated! Biscotti has managed to pull victory from the jaws of defeat and now they get an Enemy Leader Defeat Bonus times 2! 700 points will now be added to Biscotti's score and the spoils of this battle are the claim to this location!" _Framboise announced, taking a look at the scoreboard

_"This may not mean the end of the war, but the point differential here is devastating! It is now impossible for Galette to pull off a victory and have been routed!" _He added.

In Filliano Castle, Millhi and her close friend and chief researcher, Riccota Elmar, celebrated their first victory in a long time.

Down at the battlesite, a full camera crew had assembled to take the statements of the fighters. Leo had the mic first.

"Hero, even though you received help from Droopy Ears here, I compliment you for landing a solid hit on me! However, don't get cocky! I won't let this happen again in the future!" She declared to him as she turned to the other hero, an appraising look in her eye.

"At first I thought you didn't look like much, but you fought that battle maniac Godwin head on while injured and tired and you _still_ beat him! That was nothing short of impressive and I can't wait to fight you sometime." She said to Ichigo her voice becoming sly at the last part.

"Thanks...I guess." He deadpanned as she tossed the mic to Shinku.

"Thank you, Prince..." He began to say until she stiffened with indignation, along with her tail, and spun around.

"Your Majesty!" She corrected him.

"Your Majesty!" He repeated.

"Good boy!" She said with a satisfied grin.

"Although the battle with Your Majesty was scary, it was really fun!" He said. As he finished what he had to say, she motioned over to Eclaire with her tail, so he tossed her the fic. But as he did it, so spoke to the camera teams.

"Close up on Droopy Ears! You'll get some good footage." She whispered to them.

Sure enough, just as she caught the mic...Her clothes suddenly ripped to shreds! She just stood there mortified for a moment before reality dawned on her as to _how_ this happened. While they were fighting Leo, he accidentally clipped her with his staff, resulting in her current wardrobe malfunction.

The announcer replayed the footage for the world to see.

_"Hero Shinku hit Lady Eclaire by mistake! It went past her armor and shredded her clothing!"_ Framboise exclaimed, trying not to laugh as the camera teams got as many close-ups as they could manage.

"Ugh..." Ichigo groaned as he slapped his forehead.

"Oh my..." Millhi chuckled nerviously as Riccota had a good laugh.

Princess Leo was nearly laughing her head off as she turned to the heroes.

"I'll be back and next time, I'll be sure to invade you thouroghly, too!" She declared, but turned to the elder hero.

"Next time, I want to fight you...Personally." She nearly cooed at him, his eyes rolling slightly. He may have put off the deaths of everyone that he cared about for now, but he was still grieving. This was no time for a rebound, especially with a girl the same age as his youngest brother.

"Fine. The next time, find me and we'll have that fight." He sighed.

"It's a date." She winked as she skipped away merrily, making the eyes of her people nearly bug out at her strange behaivior. But then again...She was a bit off kilter for a girl in the first place.

_"The...Princess issues a direct challenge to the elder Hero for the next battle and exits...gracefully, I guess. Still, that is a battle I can't wait to see!"_ The enthusiastic announcer commented, turning to his co-hosts.

_"This gives us something to look forward to for the next invasion!"_ He added.

_"It really does, but this war isn't over yet."_ Bernard replied.

_"That's right. Dear warriors on the battlefield, good job today and we'll have ourselves another good fight next time!" _ Violle said cheerfully, all of the still active soldiers still on the field cheerly loudly.

Back with the others, Eclaire was busy trying to cover her chest while chasing Shinku around, trying to clobber him for exposing her.

"You Idiot! Moron! Jerk!" She screeched at him as he continued to back pedal and dodge.

"I said I'm sorry! I didn't do that on purpose..Ah, damn!" He yelped as he ducked another close call.

_"This hero...While strong and amazing...He may be a bit dumb after all. As for Lady Eclaire, thanks for the wonderful shots!"_ Framboise said.

"Shut up!" She yelled at the camera as she continued to chase her quarry.

_"Had Galette won this battle, the Galette liquor festival would have been held here..."_ He announced, making Ichigo's jaw drop.

"Aw man! I coulda used a good drink!" He whined.

_"Since Biscotti won, the rights for the victory event go to them."_ Bernard added.

_"Princess Millhiore of Filliano Castle...Is the event this time what we have been expecting?"_ Framboise inquired.

"Yes! We, of the Filliano Music Hall, shall be holding a music and singing event." Millhi announced happily.

"The preparations for the concert are complete, Princess!" Riccota reported, making the Biscotti soldiers cheer madly.

"So...The Princess sings too?" Shinku asked his fellow hero, making the mistake of stopping to ask and getting stomped by Eclaire

"What's that supposed to mean? Princess Millhiore is a world renowned vocalist!" She informed the pair.

"Easy there...We aren't from here, rememeber? How were we supposed to know?" Ichigo asked.

"I...I'm sorry." She apologized as a new bundle of clothes plopped on her head.

"That's better." Rolan said, coming up from behind.

"Good work out there, guys. I never expected you to fight and defeat Godwin injured and exhausted as you were." Rolan congradulated as he summoned a pair of medics to see to his wound and he actually allowed them to work on him. They peeled his vest and shirt off of him and checked on the wound, which had opened up again during his fight.

"How did you get this awful wound? I thought the Flonya power was supposed to protect us?" A female medic asked as she bandaged his wound.

"I...got this elsewhere. Before I came to your world, I was already wounded." He said quietly, his face hazed with untold pain.

"Really? What happened?" Eclaire asked intently, but her brother stopped her.

"Now, now, Eclaire...It looks like a sensitive subject and we should respect that." Rolan chided her lightly as he saw Shinku's downcast expression.

"You know, don't you?" He asked the boy, who nodded solemnly, looking at Ichigo.

"Go ahead...I doesn't matter now. You helped me give them a proper burial, so you have my permission and gratitude." He told the boy as he left with the medics to their tent so they could work on him better.

"Before I was brought here, we went to his world on accident. I don't really know what happened, but it looked like a massive war broke out and we got there just as it finished. Th-there were...bodies everywhere and he was the only one still alive, trying to bury his loved ones. Friends...Family, His wife...They all died." Shinku explained the words dying in his throat. What he saw there would stay with him for the rest of his life, scarring him slightly and was a grim reminder of what real war looked like.

Rolan's head was swimming from the reality that Shinku described while Eclaire hadn't taken it quite so well. She was shaking like a leaf and pale upon learning what happened to her rescuer. He was gravely injured and possibly traumatized, but still stuck his neck out for them and saved her.

_'He...was married and his wife was killed? No...'_ She thought as she began to tear up.

Just was they were finished talking about it, Ichigo came out of the medical tent and back over to them.

"So...What's this I hear about our cutie of a princess being a singer? I'd like to hear her sing sometime." He asked. They knew he was trying to put it out of his mind, so they went along with it.

"While conducting meetings and during exchanges with various foregin countries, our princess would take her band with her to sing around the world." Rolan explained.

"I see.." Shinku replied.

"However, with the numerous battles as of late, this has had to stop. We haven't even heard her sing for some time now." He finished, Eclaire poking out from behind him as she finished dressing again.

"You'll understand once she sings." Eclaire said as she walked up to Ichigo, her head low.

"H-here...Your coat. Thank you for letting me use it." She said as she fidgeted slightly. He simply patted her head, oddly making her feel better.

"It's alright." He replied.

"Since you two have performed such distingushed services, you may enjoy the concert from special VIP seats." Rolan informed them.

Shinku was happy to hear that, but he paused for a second.

"That's great and all...But I'd like to return home to visit my family, or at least contact them." Shinku told them.

"What?" The Martinozzi siblings said in unison.

_**BACK AT THE CASTLE**_

Back in the castle, Millhi and Rico were walking through one of the thouroghfares of the castle and chatting about the coming festivities.

"Thanks to our heroes, we should be able to attain victory!" Rico said happily.

"That's right...But will they stay and listen to my concert? Shinku has family back where he is from and I don't know if Ichigo will come. He's...had a lot to deal with and he might want to rest." Millhi replied. Rico was going to ask what he'd been through, but left it at that. She just thought that the princess forgot for a moment.

"Any hero that gets summoned...Cannot return to their world. That is precisely why the Summoning isn't done very often. Don't tell me you didn't know that, princess?" Rico informed her, but the nervious expression and sweating told the genius girl otherwise.

"There has to be some way to send him back home!" She replied, laughing nerviously, making Rico exasperated.

"I'm telling you...There is none!" She exclaimed.

_**AT THE BATTLEFIELD...**_

Back with the heroes, the siblings were hesitant to give Shinku the sad news.

"A summoned hero cannot return to their world nor can they communicate with it." Rolan explained.

"Those are the rules of the summoning." Eclaire added.

"Ha, ha! That's pretty funny!" Shinku laughed at what he hoped was just a joke.

"No. I assure you that I wasn't joking." Rolan replied.

At the same time, somehow, the princess and Shinku both exclaimed.

"WHAAAAAAT?"

_** END...**_

_A/N: Well, this is my first chapter of my newest brainchild. I asked VFSNAKE to read it for me and he said he liked it and I trust his opinion, so that'll do it for me. As per SOP **(Standard Operating Proceedure for those non-military types or not in the know), **read and review and all of those nice things...Da Svidanya! _


	2. Chapter 2

_Here, we have the next installment of this fic. Now...It's come to my attention that some out there think that this is a sacrilege...Well...This is FANFICTION. I believe that's enough to say._

_ Now, we have the aftermath of the opening battle, which Biscotti won anyway. However, due both of the enemy leaders going down, Biscotti won hands down and the Galette forces were put to rout. Now, the Heroes are being familiarized with the kingdom and have earned some much deserved rest and some chow while Ichigo's wound heals. However...There's no rest for the wicked..._

_**AT THE BATTLEFIELD**_

There were fireworks going off in celebration of the ending of the battle and both sides were giving their congradulations and generally showing good sportsmanship. Biscotti had good reason to celebrate, since this was their first significant victory after a dry spell that dragged on for a while.

_"Here we are at the end of the battle! Neither side managed to take each other's territory, so this battle was decided by total point values. Biscotti won this battle by a near landslide with losing their two commanders, along with a healthy chunk of their forces being taken out."_ Framboise commented as he switched gears, cueing the ground camera crews.

_"Now...We would like to have Rolan, Captain of the Biscotti Knights, join us from the Biscotti camp and give us his thoughts on the battle."_ The passionate announcer added as he cued up the ground crews.

"Thank you." Rolan said, but before he could speak, Framboise spoke again.

_"If it's possible, could we get a few words from the heroes who made their incredible debuts in the battle?" _Framboise asked.

"W-well..." He started, looking over at the pair. Shinku was sulking in a corner and muttering about being kidnapped while Ichigo was resting, eyes closed against a tree while muttering that he was starving.

"We'll be revealing more about them at a later time. They're...tired and want to rest for a bit." Rolan covered for them.

_"Ah...I see, I see...You want to keep it a secret for now. We understand. Why don't we hear your thoughts on the battle instead, Captain Rolan?"_ Framboise asked, switching targets.

"Whew...Good thinking, big brother..." Eclaire said to herself, looking at the pair of blonds.

"I can't go home...Kidnapped by crazy girls with dog ears and fighting an insane lion girl..." Shinku pouted, doodling in the dirt.

"Mnnmm...*Snore*" Was all that came out of Ichigo's mouth as he snored loudly, completely passed out.

"We can't have our heroes be seen like this..." She lamented, shaking her head.

_**BACK AT THE CASTLE...**_

"Oh no...They can't return home? I know Ichigo would want to stay, but Shinku has a family back home...I feel terrible about this..." Millhi lamented aloud as her maids were helping to tailor her dress.

"I will admit that he probably feels even worse about this, Princess." One of her maids replied, making her droop even more.

"What'll I do now?" She asked in a half whine.

"Even so, princess...You still have your royal duties to perform. First, you have to thank everyone for their hard work during the battle. Next, you have to attend an End-Of-War meeting with Princess Leonmichelle, give an interview as the leader of the victorious army, and give your thanks to the various organizations that support the showm as well. On top of all that, you still have to rehearse for your big concert tonight." Amelita, her aide, rattled off, making her sink lower and lower with each additional task she still had before her. She could see that Millhi would remain troubled if this problem were to be left un-attended.

"I suppose I can relay this situation to our Academy personnel, and have them handle this for you." She offered.

"I...Understand." Millhi relented as they walked down to the hall where she would be thanking her troops.

"Your friend, Chief Elmar, is much better suited for resolving problems like this, anyway." The tall woman added as they continued along their way.

In another part of the castle, Rico was running as fast as her tiny frame would allow her to with her load of heavy tomes and books.

_'I have to find a way to send at least Hero Shinku back to his world. I should have stopped her from performing the summoning...I should have done the research on it.' _The small girl thought as she stopped running to catch her breath.

_'She's my friend...I don't want her to feel horrible over this. I need to find a way, somehow.'_ Ricotta added as she resumed her trek to her study and laboratory.

_**OUT IN TOWN...**_

As soon as Ichigo was feeling up to moving around again, and as soon as Eclaire could snap Shinku out of his funk, she took them into town to show them around. Everywhere, there were people with animal ears and tails, yet looking like they were only cosplaying. After a bit of walking around, the two of them were getting hungry, so the green haired girl relented and took them to a restaurant that she frequented.

"Oh...The heroes! Lady Eclaire...If you had informed us sooner, we would have had a special table set aside for you and your honored guests!" The Maitre'd gushed as he scrambled to seat them.

"Hey, man...It's alright...Chill out." Ichigo said while stifling a yawn. He was always a wreck after waking up and before his coffee.

"Your regular tables will be fine, honest." Shinku replied to calm the man, who guided them to a table next to the window.

"What kind of fare they got here?" Ichigo inquire hungrily. He didn't really care _what_ they served, as long as it there was a lot of it.

"Well, they serve pasta's here, and the roast mutton is quite good." Eclaire suggested.

"They got coffee, too?" He asked again.

"Yes. Our local blend is one of the highest quality in all of Flonyard." She replied with a hint of pride as her two companions looked over he menu. Ichigo then signalled the waiter that they were ready. He allowed her to go first since she was paying.

"Yes...I'll have the pasta salad and some tea with Biscotti Mint Tea." She said.

"Mmm...That Roast Mutton looks good...I'll have that and some tea!" Shinku requested.

Ichigo looked at the menu, sighed, then handed it to the waiter while he popped his neck.

"I'll start off light..." He started.

"You? A light eater? I never would have figured it." Eclaire poked good naturedly.

"Like I said, I'll start light by ordering one of everything on the menu and see how things go from there. Also, I'll have a pot of that local blend I've heard so many good things about." He ordered, making everyone in earshot drop their jaws in disbelief.

"You...Can't be serious?" Eclaire asked, completely aghast. She could hear her purse scream and curse his name already.

"Yep. When I'm hungry, I'm hungry. Since my energy is nearly bone dry, I need calories to replace it. Besides, this will all burn off with a good training session." He replied with another yawn as their drinks were brought out.

"Your orders will take a little longer. Please bear with us." The waiter asked as he hurried off to bus another table.

"So...What was your family like? What was your village like?" Eclaire asked curiously.

He couldn't keep on being wishy-washy forever. They'd all stomp a mudhole in his ass and walk it dry if they saw him like that, so he relented and pulled out a scroll from his hip pouch. He then bit down on his thumb for some blood and smear it on the scroll, which let out a puff of smoke and revealed a large album full of pictures.

Eclaire and Shinku opened it and looked through to see other ninja like Ichigo, some of them Shinku recognised by face.

"Who are these women here with their arms around you and those boys?" She asked. The photo was of the family shortly after the Wave mission, four years ago.

"The red head was my mother, Kushina Uzumaki. The other woman in the trenchcoat is Anko Mitarashi Uzumaki, my elder sister. The short blond is Naruto and the boy with the long hair is Haku. They were my family." He answered as they continued to look. They then came across a wedding picture, with him in a formal suit and two women in beautiful gowns. In the background was a grove of gorgeous trees with pink blossoms floating down like a light rain.

"Is this YOU?" Eclaire asked incredulously. She had to admit that he cleaned up nicely, very nicely and that the background was indeed beautiful.

"Yeah...That was my wedding day. Those two women were my wives, Rin and Airi. They were so beautiful on that day..." He answered.

"How did you marry TWO women?" Shinku asked, which prompted him to explain the CRA, which explained things enough to where the understood. Eclaire was happy with the fact that he was really in love with them both and treated them equally. They came across another wedding picture, this time of Anko and a man with a scar across his nose who looked painfully bashful.

"This is the wedding between my sister and Iruka Umino. He was Naruto's Academy teacher for a long time and he was a friend of the family. Those two were really happy together." He answered them as they flipped another page to see one last wedding picture.

"Ah yes...This was one year before the War. Naruto was finally of age to be married and married his wives. The blond girl was Ino, the dark haired girl was Hinata, and the girl with pink hair was Sakura. You see, our dad, Minato, was a little flakey when he went around making marriage proposals for him and forgot that he made three seperate arranged marriages. We lucked out when Naruto managed to get them all to fall in love with him somehow BEFORE they found out about the betrothals. Thanks to the CRA, no one was heartbroken and they were happily married. I'll never forget that day, either." The tall blond said wistfully as the food arrived. He re-sealed it and put it away to make room for the food.

He suveryed all of the delectable dishes with a hungry gleam in his eyes as he snatched up his utencils.

"In the mouth, over the gums...Watch out, tummy. Here it comes!" He cackled with glee as he dug into the food with the ferver of a starving man, the food disappearing at an insane pace.

Eclaire couldn't believe this man's appetite, nor that he was a married man with his atrocious table manners.

"Would you mind slowing down, please?" She asked/ordered, trembling due to her trying to keep her cool.

"Oh. Sorry about that. I was hungry and hadn't eaten anything in a couple of days." He apologized sheepishly as he continued eating at a normal pace.

They all finished their meals and Eclaire was dreading the bill for the small feast Ichigo ordered, but was pleasantly surprized. The manager waived the bill in honor of the two heroes having their first meal in Biscotti at their restaurant and complimenting the food. They all piled out to the street as Ichigo stated that he wanted to get a better lay of the land, so he vaulted straight up to the rooptops and told them that he'd meet them at the palace hall in a little while, taking off with another massive leap for the adjacent rooftop and out of sight, leaving the two of them alone.

Shinku pulled out his cellphone and began to search for a good signal, but he got nothing.

"As I expected...Nothing. This really is a different world." He whined.

"That's what you get for answering the Summoning without resolve." Eclaire shrugged.

"Resolve? That doggie set up a freaking pitfall when I was jumping down from a building!" He exclaimed.

"Pitfall? Tatsumaki did that?" She asked, the dog in question giving a huff as he concentraited for a moment and a small seal appeared.

"Huh? What's this?" Shinku asked, trying to read it, Eclaire doing so.

"Attention : This is a Hero Summoning. Warning, you will have no way to return after being summoned." She read, Shinku going pale after the dog nodded.

"If you do not wish to be summoned, please do not step onto the seal." She finished.

"How the hell was I supposed to know that?" He yelled, getting in her face.

"Do you think I care? Don't come whining to me! Besides, the Academy people are working on ways to send you back right now. Knowing Rico, she'll have this figured out pretty soon." Eclaire stated.

"Man...I hope so." He pouted.

"Besides..._How should I put this..._You may be a total idiot and that other guy an eating machine, you two are our honored guests here. We won't allow you to be miserable." She told him as she pulled out a bag of the local currency.

"Here, take this for now." She said, handing it over to him.

"I can't just take your money." He refused.

"You doofus...This is your reward for today's battle. If you refused, those in finance wouldn't be terribly happy with you. They have a system going and that would wreck it." She explained, dropping the bag into his possession.

"Doesn't Ichigo-san get one? He did beat that big tough general guy all by himself." He asked.

"Yes...But I kinda forgot to give it to him before he took off." She admitted sheepishly.

"And you called me a doofus..." He muttered as he looked around at all of the vendor stalls on the streets and at their various wares.

"There are many soldiers that participate in the battles just because it's fun. However, how much you recieve depends on how much you contribute to the battle. Honestly, many just hope to be able to pay back the participation fee." She told him.

"Application fee?" Shinku exclaimed once more.

"Geez...You really do need everything explained to you, don't you?" Eclaire replied in a slightly condescending manner.

"Uh, duh...Not from around here, you know?" Shinku reminded her as they walked along.

"Anyway...While war here is a method of diplomacy, it is also an event that involves the entire nation or group involved. This time around, we fought with our neighbor, Galette. However, there are also battles on a much smaller scale, such as battles between villages and towns, and even smaller groups." Eclaire related to him.

"So...It's like a sort of athletic event or festival between villages and nations?" He asked.

"I guess you can put it that way." She agreed as she continued.

"When a battle event is set up, the organizers collect the fees from all of the participants. Next, the countries collect those amounts and the battle is then waged. The winner of the battle recieves 60% of the total while the remaining 40% goes to the losing side. This method and amount has been decided upon by an intra-continental treaty. From the amount that both sides recieve, half of that is paid out to the soldiers for their efforts while the rest is used to run the government and pay for things like more fortresses, hospitals, schools, and and supporting those who are emplyed in national services i.e professional soldiers like myself and my brother...They are used for National Defense." Eclaire simplified for him, seeing the dawning understanding on his face.

"I see...But what about _real_ war where the treaty is broken? You know...The kind that Ichigo-san is used to fighting in, where people can get hurt and get killed." Shinku asked, slightly uncomfortable with that subject still.

"If you look into the history books, there have been conflicts like that in the past...Especially against monsters. The reason why no one in these battles get hurt too badly is because of the Flonya Power, the power of the War Protection Deity, which blankets the battleground. If battles are fought elsewhere, especially with warriors like Ichigo running around, injuries and deaths are guaranteed." She said as she pulled out a map.

"As you can see, Countries, cities, and the battlegrounds themselves were built on top of areas with this divine protection. The roads, mountains, and valleys tend to be very dangerous if travelled alone since on the roads, there is a strong possibility of encountering wild beasts that are often massive in size. However, if you join a group of troops marching to war, you can usually pass without a problem." Eclaire finally finished explaining.

"I see." Shinku said.

"You really don't know anything, do you?" She sighed, getting a deadpan look from him as she walked forward slightly and turned.

"C'mon. Let's go see Rico. She might have found something to help you." Eclaire called out, motioning for him to follow.

_**ACADEMY LAB AND STUDY HALL**_

"I really very sorry! We of the Science Department haven't been able to figure out a way to sent you home! I can't apologize enough for my incompetence!" The tiny genius girl babbled.

"Easy there, Rico. We weren't expecting instant results on this matter." Eclaire tried to calm her, but she didn't look convinced, so Shinku spoke up.

"Y-Yeah...She's got a point!" Shinku added.

"I-Is that so?" Rico asked as she stopped bowing and Eclaire turned to Shinku.

"Weren't you talking about a deadline or something before, anyway? When is it?" Eclaire asked.

"I need to be back three days before spring break ends, no...A day before that so, I'd say about 16 days." He answered. He must have said the magic words, because her amber brown eyes lit up.

"16 days? That gives me some hope!" She cheered.

Yes...But before that..." He said, pulling out his cellphone and showing it to her.

"Would I be able to get a signal from the hole myself and Ichigo-san came from?" He asked her.

"Signal?" She asked, thinking for a moment.

"It's worth a shot, but why don't you and Eclaire head up there before me? I'll catch up with you." Rico told them as she shooed them out of her lab. They just decided to mount cellkulls and head on up to the area behind the castle where the portal was.

_**BEHIND FILLIANO CASTLE, PORTAL ENTRANCE**_

Shinku was busy trying to shove himself into the portal while Eclaire kept it open, but it wasn't working. It was like there was a barrier there that was keeping him locked out of the portal, just beyond it's event horizon.

"Damn! I can't...Get through!" He grunted as he struggled with it, trying to force himself in.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you for the past half hour!" Eclaire snapped slightly.

"To live is to challenge everything you see! Never will I give up or in!" He declared as he prepared himself for another go at when he heard Rico calling.

"Shinku!" She called out, getting their attention. She was standing next to a drawn cart that was towing a generator-like machine.

"We finally managed to get this ready for you!" She said cheerfully as she uncovered it.

"Uh...What's this thing?" He asked.

"Oh this? It's a machine we use to give our broadcasting signals a boost! It's something I invented when I was 5 years old, but now, it's being used all over the continent!" She explained as she pulled a couple of levers, the machine whirring to life.

"So then...Give it a try now!" She told him as the machine was warmed up.

He flipped open his phone and looked at the signal strength indicator and saw that he had a signal! Not the greatest, but a signal none the less!

"Alright! I've got a signal! Amazing! You're amazing, Rico!" He gushed, making her color slightly from the praise.

"Happy to be of service!" She replied, her tail wagging happily while she threw up a salute.

"Okay then..." He murmured as he punched in a number, getting a dialtone that told him it was going through.

_**SHINKU'S HOMEWORLD, ANDERSON RESIDENCE**_

Rebecca Anderson was lying down on her bed reading one of her manga intently when her cellphone went off. Without even looking away from her manga, she groped around her bed, feeling for it until she finally grabbed it and flipped it open.

_'From Shinku? I wonder what he wants?'_ She thought as she hit the pick up button on the phone.

"Yes?" She asked.

_**BACK IN FLONYARD**_

"Yes! It's connected!" He cheered, covering the reciever.

"It is, it is!" Rico cheered behind him.

_"Hello? Shinku? The connection's really unstable. Where on earth are you? The airport?" _She asked him.

_'Heh heh...If she only knew...'_ He thought as he answered her.

"Yeah, some stuff happened recently..." He began to say, but she started speaking.

_"Did you read the mail I sent you? For my family, my dad can't come because he's got work, but my mom and I can still come, though. My mom's really excited since she hasn't seen the big flowers for a long time."_ Becky told him excitedly.

"Oh, I see." He replied, showing that he was still paying attention, but his tone betraying him.

_"Shinku, what's wrong? Are you feeling okay?" _Rebecca asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"H-huh? What makes you think that? I'm fine!" He said quickly, not wanting to alarm her.

_"I- I see...If you say so."_ She said, not fully believeing him.

"Well, you see...My phone doesn't seem to be working properly right now and you might not be able to contact me for a while. I just wanted to tell you that I'll be fine and you don't need to worry." He said, trying to soothe any worry she would have for him. Silence greeted him for a moment, as it seemed that she was going to be worried about him regardless.

_"I understand. I won't worry about you, even though you're a muscleheaded dummy sometimes..."_ She replied with a giggle, but rememeber what else she wanted to tell him.

_"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. If you're going to be that difficult to get hold of, at least be sure to call mom, dad, and Nanami since I won't be the only one to worry." _She told him.

"Ah, right. I'll do that." He agreed.

_"Take care of yourself, now."_ She said.

"Okay, bye, Becky." He told her as they hung up as he turned to Rico.

"I'm sorry, Rico, but do you mind if I stay connected a little bit longer? I have other people that I'd like to call." Shinku requested.

"Sure! It's not a problem at all!" She told him cheerfully as he turned back around and proceeded to let the rest of his family know not to worry.

"Oh wait a moment...Would it be alright with you if I researched this phone of yours?" The pixy-like scientist requested with a certain gleam in her eyes.

"I...Wha?" He flustered.

"I wanna take it apart and see how it works! Whenever I see a machine I don't know about, my tail starts wagging like crazy and I get really giddy about researching it!" She told him excitedly, her tail matching her mood.

"N-no! I need this!" He said as he backed away slightly.

"Aw, come on...I'll put it back together like new. I promise!" She said in an oddly obessive tone, her eyes still hold that manic gleam.

"No! It'll void the warranty and my provider won't replace it if it doesn't work!" He replied as he dodged her lunge.

"It'll be okay! I'll put a warranty on that!" She tried to bargain with him as she chased him around, wanting to get her hands on this new and fascinating device.

"It's through my carrier, not you!" He shot back, keeping just ahead of her.

Eclaire just chuckled as she walked over to the cart and picked up the communicator.

"Hey, big brother, he was able to call his family." She informed Rolan.

_"I see. So Rico was able to help him establish contact with his homeworld...That's good."_ He replied.

"Yes. Both he and Rico seem to be very relieved. He also said that he wishes to spend his time here contributing in a positive manner, like participating in the battles." Eclaire told her brother.

_"That's great news. I'll inform the princess right away."_ The Knight Commander replied to her and was about to hang up, but remembered something else.

_ "The Countess d'Arquien and Yukikaze are due back from their journey either today or tomorrow."_ He informed her.

"That's really good news! We could use their help!" She replied back in a happier tone.

"Hey? What's good news?" Rico asked as she stopped chasing Shinku around.

"The Countess d'Arquien is coming home!" She relayed the info happily.

"Is that right? Then Yukii will be back, too!" Rico replied, her tail once again wagging happily.

"Uh...Who're they?" Shinku asked.

"The Countess is our most powerful Knight and Yukikaze is a really good friend of ours!" Eclaire answered.

"They're really reliable!" Rico added, almost forgetting about the cellphone until she looked over at the edge of where they were. There were several small, semi-translucent creatures that were hopping toward them.

"Oh...Now this is rare! Those are the local Gods!" Rico told him excitedly, but he was still confused and it was plain as day to see.

"Tch...You really don't know anything. They are creature-like spirits that live in the local area." Eclaire explained.

"They're appearing like this is proof that nature's harvest is very plentiful." Rico added, assauging his confusing.

"Oh, I get it. This is sort of like the temples and shrines back where I'm from." Shinku replied as they began to make their way back.

_**BACK AT THE CASTLE**_

Ichigo had made his way back to the castle with time to spare after both letting his food digest and getting a good feel of the town. He started to wobble a little bit, since he hadn't fully rested from before. Although, his wound was no longer bothering him.

"Those medics did a really good job on this." He commented appraisingly as he walked up to the gates, the guards allowing him access.

"Hey...You wouldn't know where Sir Rolan is, would you?" He asked one of the servants. He had a few questions for the man about how things were run here so he could get a better grasp for the place that just might become his new home.

"Oh! It's you, Hero Ichigo! I believe that he is with the princess right now, over at the ampitheatre's backstage area." The girl supplied helpfully.

"I see. Thank you, miss." He thanked her politely as he took off using another Mizu Shunshin.

He arrived in the back areas of the stage and felt around for the princess, since she had the most unique and easiest signature to track down. After a few moments, he managed to find them, along with her assistant Amelita, talking something over.

"Oh, It's you Hero Ichigo! Please, have a seat." Millhi told him. In truth, she had been wanting to talk with her heroes all day, but hadn't had the opportunity to do so. Now, the opportunity to talk with one of them just presented itself.

"How did you like our country?" She asked him.

"I actually quite enjoyed it. It's a quaint place, but it took a little getting used to seeing everyone with ears like yours and tails. Oh, and you can just call me Ichigo. I'm not one for titles." The tall blond admitted with a good natured chuckle.

"I see...I take it that Eclaire was showing Hero Shinku and yourself around?" She asked him again.

"Yeah...She took us to a restaurant that she always visits and that place serves up some really good food! I couldn't believe how hungry I was and that was one of the reasons why my recovery rate was so slow. Normally, I'm ready to go again after some rest." He explained.

"Just...How long had it been since you ate last?" She asked.

"Oh...Around three days. I didn't really have the time for such things, at that time." He told her, his tone telling her that he was still uncomfortable with that subject, but she had one more question for him.

"I know that you're still, uncomfortable with talking about your past, but would you mind telling me about your family?" She asked, taking a risk.

"I...actually don't mind at all. Thinking about happier times will help me cope with what happened much better than moping around. Besides, they'd beat me senseless if they saw me mope around!" He told her with honest cheer in his voice. He pulled out his storage scroll from his back pouch and opened it up, stopping on a particular seal. He then bit down on his thumb for some blood and swiped it across the seal, producing a small puff of smoke. After it cleared, they saw a large photo album sitting atop the scroll.

"Here...This is a picture album of my family..." He told them, showing them pictures of the special moments in the lives of his family, such as promotions, special occasions, and weddings. One caught her eye.

"Who is this beautiful blond lady?" She asked.

"That would be Aunt Tsunade. She was like an older sister to my mother, so she became our aunt. Also, don't let her appearance fool you. In that picture, she's nearly sixty years old." He told her with a laugh when her look became incredulous, along with the other two people present.

"She certainly holds her age well. She doesn't look a day older than I do." Amelita commented with a hint of awe.

"She has such a pretty name, too." Millhi added.

"That would be because of an illusion she cast on herself to make herself appear young. She hates showing her age and when Naruto found out about it, he wouldn't stop calling her Granny Tsunade." He snickered as she pulled out another picture.

"I've noticed that you, your sister and this Haku don't look anything like her or Naruto. Why is that?" Rolan asked.

"Good question. It's because mother Kushina took us in and claimed us as her own. Anko's parents died when she was very young as did Haku's and I never knew mine. I originally came from Shinku's world as far as I can tell. I was taken in by an old ninja named Hanzou and he trained and raised me after he took me from an organization that wanted to make people into living weapons. He was like a Grandfather to me and enrolled me into public schools to teach me the things he couldn't and that was when I met a girl named Hitomi. She was blind, but I still fell in love with her and she with me. But...One night during a formal event at our school, that organization tracked Hanzou and myself down and attacked us...She was killed during the fighting and he died a few moments later of heart failure. I was only 16 when this happened. I wandered after that as a mercenary until a certain mission led to me obtaining this blade, called the Ensis Celesi. Translated from that world's ancient latin, it means Holy Blade or Heavenly Blade. Another chain of events led to me being transported to the world Shinku found me in. I landed in the village of Konoha, right in the middle of an attempted invasion and theft. I took out the thieves and was offered a position in their ninja forces. The rest I'll have to tell you some other time." He said. He didn't feel at all uncomfortable telling them all of this since they were obviously trusting him. However, he didn't want to tell her about Sakuhime nor his trip into Hell. That part would be far too scary for her right now and better kept to himself.

Millhi was quite taken with the picture of himself and his wives, marvelling at their gowns and how beautiful they looked.

"My...You certainly look different in this picture, Ichigo." She giggled.

"Yeah, I guess I do." He chuckled in agreement, stroking his stubble.

"What's it like? Being married?" The young princess asked him honestly. All girls deep down wanted to know

"Well...It's hard to put into words how it feels. I mean, I would have willingly given anything to be with them forever, if that explained anything. Loving someone so much that you'd spend every waking moment with them 'till eternity come. I believe that's what it feels like." He told her with conviction.

This really made the princess think for a moment. He really wasn't as scary as she thought he was and he was about the same age and Brioche, Amelita, and Rolan. He was nice to talk to and he was willing to explain such a difficult thing to her. Amelita and Rolan were impressed with how he handled her, like an older brother would have. He just had that aura about him, they thought. Millhi then remembered that he had nowhere to go, so she made him an offer.

"Since...You have nowhere to go, what will you do? You're welcome to stay here with us, if you wish." She offered. The grateful look on his face told him all she needed to know.

"Thank you. I was going to ask you if it would be alright if I stayed here, anyway. I thank you, Princess, for your generous offer. As such, count on my continued combat support in all of the battles to come. You'll see what I can really do once I'm rested and ready to go." He told her enthusiastically. Rolan seemed pleased with how graciously he took it. He saw this as adding an extremely powerful soldier to their army, one who had real live combat experience. Amelita was just glad that he was conducting himself in an appropriate manner, that he was at least polite, to the contrary of how he looked.

"I am curious, though...What ever happened to Hero Shinku? Is he still with Eclaire?" She asked, curiously.

He could see the real reason why she wanted to speak with him, though. He'd dealt with teenage girls enough to know what they were thinking. After all, he WAS a Jounin sensei. She had the beginnings of a crush on his young counterpart.

_'So...The little princess has a bit of a crush, does she? Might as well let things run their course and come what may. Maybe he'll like her as well, but he has to go home, though. This has the potential to end badly for both of them. I'll just need to keep an eye on it and give advice when asked.'_ He thought with an inward chuckle. Millhi missed his grin, but Rolan sure didn't.

_"I'll tell you later."_ He whispered as Millhi was thinking for a moment.

"Yes. He's still with her, but he did say that he'd come to the concert tonight." He told her with a grin.

"That's good to hear. So...Is he on good terms with Rico and Eclaire?" She asked Rolan.

"Yes. They seem to be getting along nicely." He replied. He and the other two adults noticed the two looks that crossed her face. She looked both relieved and scared at the same time.

"I can't feel easy yet, but I still feel a little relieved." The young princess sighed, putting her head down on the table.

_'It can't be easy for a girl so young to run a country...'_ Ichigo thought, feeling a shred of sympathy for her.

"You sure have a lot to worry about." Rolan commented.

"Yes, I do. But I have everyone supporting me, I need to work hard for them and earn the trust they place in me." She answered.

_'She's a very good girl. I have a feeling that I won't regret this one bit.'_ The blond swordsman thought.

"Excuse me, Hero Ichigo? Captain Rolan? It's time for her to rehearse." Amelita called out, checking a clock on the wall.

"I'm coming." Millhi replied as she stood and followed her assistant out to the stage, leaving the two older men alone for the moment.

"She's really a very kind hearted girl, beautiful inside and out. She will be an excellent monarche when she matures and to the one man lucky enough to marry her, a fine lifemate." Ichigo commented honestly.

"That she is. The one whom marries her would be one lucky person. I just hope that they would treat her right. I'd expect nothing less for my little sister, as well." Rolan replied in true big brother fashion.

"I suspect that not only Amelita, but yourself would take part in the screening process when the time comes for her to marry?" The ninja asked.

"Yes, I would. But one thing, why did you accept her offer so easily?" He asked.

"One thing that is ingrained into every ninja's subconscious is the need to serve a worthy leader. No matter how solitary they may seem, that is an absolute truth. I can feel that our cute little princess is more than worthy to serve under. The fact that she offered me a place to live and a purpose to serve is all the proof and rationale that I need." He replied, his face going into a stone cold professional gaze. That gaze melted into a sly one.

"Besides that, what's with you and Amelita? C'mon...It'll just be between us guys." He pressed, nudging him slightly as the Knight Captain began to color slightly.

"Well, uh...We've known each other since we were very young and..." Rolan trailed off.

"And...What?" Ichigo asked.

"Ummm...That's it, really." He replied lamely.

"You mean...You've never worked up the nerve to ask her out? C'mon! You've got the best shot out of anyone else at courting her, so it can't hurt to at least talk to her!" Ichigo encouraged, patting him on the back.

"But...I talk to her everyday!" He replied.

"No...I mean _talk_ to her...Get to know her better and work from there." Ichigo suggested as they left to talk more about it.

Meanwhile on the stage...

Millhi was walking out onto the stage and was rehearsing her song and dance while thinking of a few other matters.

_' I really must apologize properly to Shinku later and then tell both him and Ichigo what an amazing job they did out there. I wonder if I'm allowed to pat their heads for their deeds? I hope they let me, because they truly deserve it...Oh wait...I need to thank Eclaire, as well. She was amazing out there, too. Of course, I'll work hard and give them my best preformance!' _She thought as she was going over the dance steps and moves with the Choreographer.

_'I need to write a letter to Leo. I wonder why she grew to like fighting so much? She wasn't like this before...She used to enjoy my singing so much, but she won't listen to it anymore. Why?'_ She though as she fought through her sadness and continued to rehearse.

_**GALETTE ARMY CAMP, PRINCESS LEO'S TENT...**_

Violette walked up to her princess and poured her a glass of wine, but had a question on her mind.

"Your majesty? Won't you be going to Princess Millhiore's concert?" She asked.

"Who do you think is going? I don't want to be caught dead at the Dog Princess's crooning party!" Leo replied, somewhat harshly while she swished the wine around in her glass, whipping up the bouquet.

"Is that so? Then should we carry out a spot of sabotage?" Violette suggested.

"The loser messing up the winner's chosen event? How could we do such a shameful thing?" Leo retorted, taking a sip of her wine.

"Well, then...Drink as you wish for the night, I guess." Violette sighed.

"Yes...That I shall." She replied,holdig her glass out for another refill.

"By the way...Where is Gaul? He said something about coming here." Leo asked.

"Come to think of it, that should have been right around now, then...Strange." Violette said, more to herself.

_**ON A CLIFF OVERLOOKING FILLIANO CASTLE...**_

There were four figures standing there, looking down at the castle with mischief on their minds. The leader, however, had different thoughts.

"I heard that my sister lost and Godwin was easily beaten by someone tired and wounded. Those two heroes are supposed to be really strong, right?" The male asked.

"That's what I hear. The younger one has a light fighter style of fighting like you, Prince Gaul. The older one seems to be a heavy combat type like General Godwin and your sister, but he moves too quickly for that and he uses strange attacks that require no seal crest. On top of that, he was, as you said, tired, wounded and not fighting at full strength. Right now, he is the bigger threat, one we should avoid at all costs." One of the females advised.

"I'm so excited, I almost can't stand it! This won't be revenge for my sister, but I want to test out the younger hero and...play with him for a little while." Prince Gaul told his companions as they mobilized.

_**BACK AT THE CASTLE...**_

Eclaire, Rico, and Shinku were all piled on top of the Wave Generator and approaching the gates when Eclaire turned to Shinku.

"We can't have you showing up at the Princess's concert looking like that and smelling like old cheese. Please make use of the bath before arriving at the concert." Eclaire told him bluntly, causing Shinku to do the guy thing and perform a sniff check, his wince telling him that she was right, he was ripe.

"But...Where is it?" He asked.

"There are information charts all around the castle, in case people get lost and the people inside are usually very helpful. You'll find it pretty easily." Rico told him.

A few minutes later saw Shinku roaming the halls, still looking for the bath or someone to ask about it. The thought of a nice, hot, relazing bath sounded mighty good to him since he was tired and a bit sore. However, the castle was like a ghost town.

"There's nobody here..." He deadpanned as he kept looking.

"Maybe everyone's getting ready for that big concert, but still, where's that bath at?" He said to himself. After another moment of searching, he found something that might be what he was looking for.

"Oh? Is that it?" He said, running up to it.

He ran inside the building to discover lockers inside of a dressing area.

"Alright! Score!" He cheered as he stripped down to his boxers and ran into the bath itself, but missed a vital sign, not that he could read it. It said _"For women only at this time."_ with a smaller note at the bottom that read _"Currently in use by Princess Millhiore."_

Once inside, he couldn't believe his luck. It was hands down the nicest bath he'd ever had the privilege of laying his eyes on.

"And it's an open air bath, too! Sweet!" He said happily as he made his way down to the water, but heard something off to the side...like running water.

"Hey wait...Is there soemone else here?" He asked himself as he moved to investigate.

As he moved closer and the steam from the bath cleared, he good a good look at his fellow bath goer...But something wasn't right.

_'Wait a minute...Female, pink hair...Oh crap...'_ He thought as he froze in place, unable to make himself move as Millhi stood up and looked right at him.

"Oh? Hero Shinku?" She asked, the fact that she was still in her birthday suit not really registering at this time. They stared at each other for a full minute more before that fact finally sunk in and she dropped, covering what she could and Shinku started to flail around in complete panic.

"I-I saw nothing! I swear! I'm not a prevert!" He yelled out as he turned to give her some privacy.

"Oh no! I feel so disgraced, being seen like this in front of one of the Heroes!" She lamented.

"N-No! I'm not a peeping tom! I just...Didn't know there was someone in here and I'm sorry! I'm so unbelieveably..." He stammered and sputtered as he back up some more. He kept going until he finally tripped over his hastily dropped wash bucket and fell ass over end into the water.

"Hero Shinku?" Sh easked as she rushed to the waters edge while he poked his head out from the water. The sight caused him to become even more flustered as she tried to explain, Shinku shoving himself underwater to hide his...little soldier popping to attention.

"I'm really very sorry about this. I rarely get the chance to use this large bath, so I thought that with everyone being busy, I'd get the chance to use it. I'll take my leave now, so feel feel to use it, Hero Shinku!" She said quickly as she hastily ran out of the bath.

He heard her exit the bath and felt that it was safe for him to stand again. He looked over at the place where she was sitting a moment ago and subconsciously checked to see if his nose sprung a leak. No sooner than he thought he was safe, Millhi poked her head back in, covered with a towel this time. He quickly ducked down again.

"Oh...About the summoning and...About the future...There are a lot of things that I'd really like to talk with about, so maybe? After the concert?" She requested of him.

"O-Oh sure! Right! Of course!" He replied, trying to get her to go.

"Thank you so much! I'll see you then!" She told him cheerfully as she skipped out of the bathroom.

No more than a few minutes after she left, Ichigo walked into the bathhouse.

"Man...These guys know how to live!" He whistled as he looked around the bath and then down at his fellow bathgoer.

"Oh, hey kid!" The tall man called out in a lively tone as he settled into the water.

"Ahh...That feels nice...So, what did I miss?" He asked his younger counterpart with a sly smirk on his face.

"Wh-what do you mean by that?" Shinku replied defensively.

"I mean that little scene with our little princess. Yor _are_ a bold one, aren't you?" He teased the boy, who flushed so brightly he could glow in the dark.

"B-but...I'M NOT A PERVERT!" Shinku exclaimed, completely embarrassed and earning a gut busting laugh from the older blond.

"Easy there! I was just joking!" He soothed the boy as they both calmed down and settled into their bathes.

After was few moments of staring at the clear night sky, Shinku snapped up suddenly.

"Aw, man...I totally forgot to ask her..." He said aloud.

"Ask her what?" Ichigo sighed as he popped his back slightly.

"If this is really the women's bath or not." Shinku replied.

"I hope not, or we'll be in for more awkward moments like that." Ichigo said.

A few more moments passed them by until it was broken by a scream from outside of the room.

"Damn! Let's go, kid!" Ichigo ordered, out of the bath quick as a flash, already getting his clothed back on. Shinku followed him without question since he was just as concerned as to who made that scream.

Upon running outside, they spotted a trio of young women standing on top of the adjacent building, one of them holding the princess!

"We are from the Galette Lion's Army!" The blond girl announced.

"Under the command of Prince Gaul...His secret intelligence unit! We are the..." Another girl, with short, two-tone hair added.

"Genoise!" All three of them said together, pyrotechnics going off behind them like some cheap Sentai Show.

A camera crew that was trained on them panned down to where the heroes stood. "Down there! The heroes are here!"

"Heroes of Biscotti, we are kidnapping your precious princess." The last girl, with short black hair, said in a near monotone as Millhi started to struggle.

"We'll be waiting for you at Meow Fortess!" The livelier girl spoke out.

"There is currently one hour and thirty minutes until the princess is scheduled to perform. Will you two be able to rescue her in time?" The blond added.

"In short, we are declaring a VIP kidnap/rescue event, in accordance with the treaty. We currently have over 200 troops. All of them are elite units under the direct command of Prince Gaul. Our Prince desires a personal battle with the younger of the heroes so that he may gauge his strength. If Hero Shinku refuses this fight, there is no telling what may happen to the princess." The short girl explained.

Shinku looked to his elder compatriot for advice.

"It's up to you, kid. I'll back you up and smash a hole in their defenses to get you in." He told the boy with a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll do it. We'll do it!" Shinku declared.

"We were called by the princess, called into her service. There is no way that we will abandon her." Ichigo added.

"We are Biscotti's heroes! We will NOT back down!" Shinku said.

"I hope you have more troops than that...You'll need them to help rebuild your fort after we rip it apart with our bare hards for touching her." Ichigo finished for them, his tone and eyes growing cold as ice.

The three girls looked over this other hero more carefully once they could see better.

_'Blond hair, huge sword, metal plated headband...Oh no...' _Vert thought as Jaune vocalized their thoughts.

"It's that guy that beat General Godwin! RUN!" Jaune yelled as they took off over the walls as fast as their legs could carry them.

Shinku made to run after them, but Ichigo stopped him short.

"We need to think of a plan before we go in there. I'll get you in there so you can deal with Gaul." Ichigo instructed.

"How will you do that? They have over 200 hundred guys!" Shinku exclaimed, getting impatient.

"I've got my methods. I've got a few jutsu that are great for causing massive damage in a short period of time and they'll never know what hit them." The tall blond smiled mischieviously as they prepared to set out for the fort.

"How come you didn't use them before?" Shinku asked.

"That was because I was nearly out of energy. I was lucky to have beaten Godwin as tired as I was. I was at maybe 30% of my full strength, but that's a stretch." He exlplained.

"Then how did you beat him?" Shinku inquired, now curious.

"I simply tricked him and pulled out my secondary blade. While we were locked in a stalemate and before he could overpower me, I pulled it out and forced him to surrender." He said, pulling out the Fang.

"That was a little sneaky, but you still beat him and that counts for something." Shinku agreed as they made their way to the stables to get a pair of Cellkulls.

As they prepared to set out, they were intercepted by Eclaire and Rico, the former was furious.

"You idiots! Why did you accept a declaration of war on your own? Don't you know that you just accepted a formal war declarartion?" She railed at the pair. What she didn't expect was for Ichigo to flare up his chakra in a massive pulse, pushing her back slightly.

"We don't have time to squabble about this. The longer we take, the more time they have to dig in, making it harder to get in there. A rescue requires quick and decisive action with a small, but mobile force. Just trust me, I've been doing this since you were a baby and I know what I'm doing." The veteran ninja told her sternly.

"F-fine...But I'm going with you!" She declared.

"If you must, but you'll have to abide by my plan. I will help you get in, but Rico can help me provide the distraction and the opening." Ichigo informed them, Eclaire not too happy that he's taking charge. He noticed her dissention and sought to put a stop to it immeadiately.

"I know you aren't too happy about being bossed around, but listen to me. I'd much rather this all go cleanly and I have the means and experience to do so. Once he's inside and dueling Gaul, I will take care of any troops outside." He told her.

"But...You were injured and still a little tired! How can you handle than many, PLUS whatever officers that may be out there?" Eclaire exclaimed.

"Just trust me. I've got just the right tools for both jobs and I'm at around 70% of my full strength thanks to that lunch, Eclaire. If anything, you can vent some frustration on those three girls, the Geno-whatever." He said with a negligent wave.

She had the urge to yell at him, but she grinned at the thought of some stress relief as they mounted the Cellkulls and took off with a special trailer for Rico's volley guns, while the anchor was right behind them.

_"This is Framboise Charles with a late breaking report! Just mere hours after the main battle came to a halt, something quite serious has just taken place at Fillianno Castle! Princess Millhiore of Biscotti has just been kidnapped by elements of the Galette Army and the heroes are currently in pursuit! We will bring you more as it happens live!"_ Framboise announced from the drawn cart that he and his crew were broatcasting from, on the way to the fort.

Back at the stage, Rolan and Amelita were discussing what had happened.

"I'm really sorry about this. I forgot to tell them how war declarations are handled. Now, they're on their way to fight. I don't know if they have had the chance to fully rest and recover, especially Ichigo. This is bad..." Rolan said.

"I...See." Amelita replied, her voice carrying a tone of despair.

"I-It'll be alright! We will rescue the Princess without fail!" Rolan tried to assure her.

"But...Will they make it back in time? Many people are counting on hearing her sing for them." Amelita replied, still not fully convinced.

"Things will turn out alright. The heroes and Eclaire are en route to the fortress as we speak. I'll gather my knights and ride in to back them up." Rolan told her as he started to walk away, but a small dog ran up to them, bearing a scroll. He seemed to recognise the dog.

"Homura? Then...That means..." He gasped.

_A/N: Another chapter done. This was originally going to be far longer, but I thought that I should shorten it a bit. Anyway, the princess finds out a little more about her Heroes and more bonds have been started. Rolan now has another guy around his age to banter with, while the princess has gained another potential confidante and possibly in the future, her personal bodyguard. We also see a little bonding between the two heroes as Shinku looks up to his older counterpart. Now, we have the kidnapping of the princess. How will his presense factor into how the rescue will go down now that they have a live combat expert joining them?_


	3. Chapter 3

_Another chapter is now ready for you all to read. I've been really busy as of late, so updates are going to ba a little sparse for the time being. Rest assured that I won't just abandon any of my fics without prior warning._

**_**UPDATED AND CHANGED CONTENT AT THE END**_**

_**EN ROUTE TO THE FORT**_

"They couldn't have done this at a worse time and to make things worse, we only have 90 minutes to rescue her and get her back to the castle for her performance!" Eclaire exclaimed as they rode at breakneck speeds towards the castle.

"Looks like the sneaky approach is out. That'll take too long, so I'll just have to smash a hole right through their front lines!" Ichigo yelled.

"Are you sure you can do that?" Eclaire yelled back.

"With Rico's volley guns and my area effect jutsu, we can smash a gaping hole in their defenses so that you and Shinku can slip through. I'll stay outside and keep them from pursuing you. Hopefully by the time you do rescue the princess, I'll have mopped up what's left and we can escape with few problems." Ichigo said as he explained the plan.

"That's actually not such a bad idea." Rico advised.

"Why are you two trying so hard anyway? It's not like you have ties to our country." Eclaire tried to rationalize.

"In my world, kidnapping a princess is a serious crime! I can't let this go!" Shinku declared.

"It's the same in my world, too. She offered me a place to live since my old homeland was destroyed. My debt to her might never be able to be repaid, but I'll damn sure try! We'll make sure that she get's back on time, now let's pick up the pace!" Ichigo told them in an authorative voice spurring his Cellkull onward.

Unknown to them, another was watching them from the cliffs to their right while another was running up behind her.

"My Lady! Did you see anything interesting?" The blond young woman asked, stopping just short. The woman turned around.

"Oh...Yukikaze...Yes, I did. There seems to be a war going on." The woman grinned with a certain gleam in her eyes as they continued on their way.

_**AT GALETTE'S FORTRESS...**_

In the woods just outside of the fort, Rico asked for them to stop.

"There is enough cover here to hide me and my volley guns while we fire on the fort." Rico explained.

"That's...actually a great idea. The only thing that I suggest is that you need to wait for my signal. You'll hear a loud explosion and that it your signal to begin your volley. That way, your volley will be mixed in with my jutsu, making you that much harder to spot. Good work." Ichigo replied as he patted her head and earned a tail wag for it as the pint sized genius set to work on setting things up.

"Now, you two follow me to the front gates. I going to knock on the door." Ichigo told them as they approached the gates.

On the inside of the fort, in the main hall, Gaul was sitting on the throne with Godwin kneeling before him.

"Prince Gaul! You do me much honor by assigning this task to me. I have been wanting to avenge my defeat by that hero, Ichigo Uzumaki." Godwin said gratefully.

"Nothin' to it! You looked like you were still ready for a little more violence, so why hold you back? Besides, this worked out well for both of us. Kidnapping the princess was the perfect bait to get them to accept another fight and to fulfill both of our wants, mine to test myself and you to avenge a defeat." Gaul explained.

"A most cunning plan, sire. I really do wish to fight him again now that I know to watch for that second sword he carries." Godwin agreed.

"Well, feel free to cut loose and go all out!" Gaul said as he noticed food being brough to them.

"Hey! Have a little food a drink with me, first!" Gaul added.

"I gladly accept, sire." Godwin accepted as a servant girl brought him a wine glass to drink, but a question had been nagging at him.

"Your Majesty? Where is the princess right now?" He asked.

"I left all of that stuff to Rouge. She's actually being treated quite well." He replied as he took a good bite of his mutton.

In the princess's _"Cell"_, there was a fire going in the fireplace with a small platter of assorted goodies had been arranged for Millhi as she stared at the viewing mirror that had been set up for her when she heard a knocking at her door. The door opened to reveal none other than Rouge, the Head maid of the Galette royal family with another visitor, a large Lioness at her side.

"Princess Millhiore, I'm sorry for the intrusion, but I brought the Banon family here to see you." She announced as two other servants walked up, each with a Lion cub in their arms, mewing happily as they saw the Biscotti Princess.

"Oh, thank you, Rouge!" She said happily as the cubs ran up to her, their mother Banon as well.

"Your children are looking so lively, Banon!" She gushed over the two young cubs.

"Yes. Prince Gaul thought that she would want you to see her children, so he had them brought here to see you." Rouge explained.

"He's always so nice to me...Could I speak with him for a couple of moments, please Rouge?" She requested.

"Of course. The battle isn't to begin for a while..." She said, but was cut off by a series of massive explosions that rocked the entire fort followed by several smaller ones.

"What was that?" Rouge exclaimed as a report was delivered to her.

"It seems as though your heroes have arrived in a rather grandiose manner." Rouge explained.

_**A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER AT THE FRONT GATES...**_

Ichigo had already dimounted and had his Cellkull stay put for the time being while he made his preperations. In the meantime, he had Eclaire and Shinku gear up for a frontal assualt.

"I hope he has something huge planned, like one of those techniques I saw him use earlier. We could sure use some of them now." Eclaire hoped as she and Shinku drew their weapons.

"I think we can trust him when he says he's got a plan." Shinku confirmed as the watched the master ninja go to work.

_**KAGE BUNSHIN!**_

Five more clones were made as they used the Shunshin to rapidly place themselves for maximum damage and yield for what they were about to do.

They all lept into the air suddenly and wove through handseals in complete unison while the guards at the gate thought that he was a lunatic, but they were about to get a painful education...Shinobi style.

"What the hell is that guy doing?" The Guard Captain asked his men, who all shrugged.

"Whatever...Archers! Prepare to fire a volley!" He commanded, but his enemy had already struck first.

_**KATON : KARYUU BAKUHATSU-DAN!**_

He and the clones all spat out balls of fire, huge in diameter, that were screaming at their intended targets. Their aim was carefully made so that their explosive shockwaves would slightly overlap, making sure that as few of them slipped out of the grips of the powerful jutsu combo as possible. Eclaire and Shinku just watched as the fireballs impacted, then detonated with impressive force, five of them wiping out nearly three quarters of the gate defenders while the sixth obliterated the gate itself and brought down a portion of the wall with it.

"Holy crap..." Shinku said in awe as Rico's volley came screaming in over their heads and made quick work of the stragglers.

_'Good aim, Ricotta. You hit 'em where it hurts from over the horizon. I wish we had someone like you during the war...'_ Ichigo thought as he dispelled his clones and started on suppressing the rest of the troops, trying to give the younger fighters a corridor to slip through unchallanged.

"I had no idea he was this powerful..." Eclaire murmured as Ichigo called out to them.

"Get your butts in there! Go! I'll make sure no one interrupts!" He yelled as he engaged the defenders along the inner walls. They listened to him and charged in at full tilt.

On a cliff overlooking the fortress's main gate, the same woman from before was watching what had just happened through her spyglass with a certain amount of awe.

"My...That one is quite impressive. I take it that he is one of the two heroes summoned by the princess?" Brioche asked her companion.

"I believe so, My Lady. Shall we offer some assistance?" Yuki asked.

"Hmmm...We follow them, but do not interfere until they need our help." Brioche instructed as they mounted up and slipped in behind them.

At the Galette camp, Leo was livid at the impulsive action her younger brother had taken. Mion Fortress was currently under siege and had incurred massive damage to it's front gates and the troops there had been decimated.

"That little idiot! He just _had_ to go a kidnap the Dog Princess!" Leo fumed as her attendants were helping her armor up and get ready to deploy while she talked with Violette.

"Rouge should have been there to prevent this. However, he went ahead and committed this dirty deed anyway. I'm very sorry about this." Violette apologized.

"This nation and it's policies...How can I just let an immature kid ruin all of this for his own amusement?" She fumed, but rememebred another thing. From the reports, both heroes had attacked the fort and broke through. That meant that the one she had her eye on was there right now.

"Although...I'll have to thank him for giving me the chance to fight that Hero Ichigo so soon." She said, her mood doing a 180 from livid at her brother to giddy at the thought of fighting a man she had her sights set on as she mounted her Cellkull and darted off to the fort.

"Uh oh...She's found a guy she likes..." Violette sighed. This had happened before, but it didn't last too long since the guys _were_ handsome, but they were total weaklings.

Inside of the fortress, Ichigo was continuing to make as big of a mess as possible to keep the attention away from the two young ones while they slipped further inside of the fort's confines.

"Eclaire! We should split up! I'll go and face Gaul myself while you go and find those three girls!" Shinku proposed.

"Fine. Just don't screw this up." She said as she left to face the Genoise.

On the outer walls as he finished up with the last of the troops, Godwin made his presense known by way of hurling his chained ball at his head, only for the swift shinobi to dodge it. The Lion General retracted the ball with a feral grin.

"I have been waiting for you to arrive and I see that my men have shown you the proper hospitality! Now...We can have that rematch. You won't be able to pull that same trick on me twice!" Godwin declared as he launched himself at the shinobi as fast as he could, their weapons clashing in a brilliant display of sparks.

"Don't worry...I've got no shortage of tricks to entertain you with, _General_." Ichigo shot back with a matching grin as they pushed out of the stalemate.

With Eclaire, she managed to run right into the Genoise, who were perched atop one of the archways.

"Stop right there, Droopy-Ears! That's as far as you go!" Jaune announced as Vert aimed one of her arrows directly at her, Noir doing the same with her knives.

"Good...I was hoping to run into you three. I need the stress relief, so I guess I'll start with you." Eclaire said with a rather vicious grin, drawing her short swords as she launched herself at Jaune and attacking them head on. The sudden agression threw them off balance as they struggled to repel her fast and furious attacks.

Inside of the castle, Shinku was searching for the princess while staying on guard for Gaul, who he had yet to see any sings of. The additional lack of guards was a comfort due to the fact that Ichigo had created such a mess outside and drew them out, leaving him a near clear path. Suddenly, a pole arm screamed past his head as he ducked off to the side and out of the way. He looked up to he a silver haired boy around his age holding the weapon.

"Ah...that was a good reaction time. You really are one of the Heroes..." Gaul commented on his reflexes.

"Where is she?" Shinku asked, not really feeling like bantering right now.

"Millhi? Oh...She's in one of the private chambers right now, but let's not worry about her for right now. I wanna see how good you really are without that other guy backing you up." Gaul smirked as he lunged in.

"Darn it..." Shinku groaned as he fought back, parrying the blow and chambering his own overhand attack.

_'Princess...We're coming to save you! Just hang in there!'_ He thought as she hoped the others were having an easier time than he was.

Back outside, Ichigo and Godwin were still in the midst of their fight. Ichigo was holding back a bit, trying to gauge his opponent's fighting style and speed by picking away at his defenses. After a few moments, he got a bit careless and his weapon was knocked from his hands by a powerful blow.

"Ha ha! This has been fun, but I believe that I win this time." Godwin declared a bit prematurely. Ichigo let loose with a quick Taijutsu combo. First, he taunted Godwin into using a downward strike and quickly juked to left. Using his right leg, he kicked the axe out of his hand and lept up to utilize a spinning kick to his head. This stunned his adversary, giving the shinobi enough time to grab his reserve weapon and bear down on him at speeds that were just too fast for him to track. In seemingly a brief moment, Godwin was disarmed and defeated, again.

"I hate to cut and run...But I came here with an actual purpose, not to play with you." Ichigo said to his downed opponent as he prepared to take off to check on the others, but was cut off by another axe planting itself before him.

"Now...Don't go running off before our little date can begin." Leonmichelle replied with a sly look in her eyes.

"Damn...I don't really have time for this." Ichigo grumbled as he readied his blade again, flaring his chakra a little more to make it readily available should he need it against her. He knew that she was very powerful and would need more than just his skills and tricks to get by her. On top of that, his grand display earlier had been costly on his not fully recovered reserves.

"Of course you do...After all, you _did_ promise me a fight earlier today and I want to collect on it." She reminded him.

"I feel like such an idiot..." He groaned as she lunged in, locking them into a stalemate.

"You're strong _and _quick on the draw...I'll enjoy this match _very_ much..." She giggled as she pulled back to attack again.

_'Just my luck...A jailbait battle junkie that wants to play when I have a job to do...I need to ditch her quickly...'_ He thought as he though up a plan. He let her next strike get through his defense and allowed it to cleave him in two, much to her horror. She thought she had killed him, but the corpse poofed into a log with a smiley face on it and a paper tag with strange writing on it and it was...sparking?

"What the hell..." She was about to asked herself when the tag went off in a brilliant blast of light and a deafening bang that had her seeing stars for a few moments until she was knocked unconscious by a swift blow to her neck.

Before she could hit the ground, she was caught by her opponent, who lifted her bridal style and vanished inside the fort to find Millhi's room. From the wall of the castle, Brioche had been watching both battles and commended him on his tactics and intelligence in taking down such a powerful opponent with such an unusual technique. From what she could see, he managed to swap places with that log and tag at the last possible moment, leaving it as a trap while that flashbang went off right in her face. While she was disoriented from it, he swiftly and harmlessly took her out and was now carrying her to a bed to lay her down before he continued his search for the princess.

"Man...One hassle after another..." He grumbled as he found a suitable room, set her down, and continued his search.

"He seems to have this well in hand. These two heroes have great potential and Eclaire has grown quite a bit since I last her." Brioche commented as she made her way inside as well.

Out in the forest, another group of soldiers were looking for Rico, as they still managed to spot where the secondary fire was coming from. After a few more moments, they had found her and closed in on her, but another presense had made itslef known by defeating them all in a near eyeblink. Rico chanced opening an eye to find none other than her friend Yukikaze standing over her, the attacking soldiers now harmless furballs.

"Yuki! Am I glad to see you!" Rico cheered, Yuki's canine partner Konoha running up to the small girl.

"I am pleased that you are safe. Now, let us continue to give support to our allies within the fort." The blond Fox-Girl told her, to which she readily agreed.

All the while, back in the princess's _cell_, she had been watching her heroes and Guard Captain fight valiantly against incredible odds to rescue her. She was shocked at the sheer yield of the blast that had hit the castle walls earlier and even more shocked that Ichigo's jutsu could be so destructive and powerful, as well as when he swept away the remainder of the outer guards. She smiled as Shinku took on Gaul, giving him a really tough fight while Eclaire took on the Genoise almost singlehandedly and giving them a very rough time. This counterattack was mounted so quickly and so viciously, that it threw the castle's defenders completely off guard and most of the regular troopers had been defeated before they even knew what had happened, with major damage to the fort's walls. Even Godwin and Leo herself had been defeated, and Ichigo was on his way to support whomever he found first.

Outside again, the rear guard, which had opted to stay in place, were still waiting to engage the enemy when a large consignment of fireworks burst overhead.

"What the hell? Who launched those?" The guard captain demanded to know.

He was met with slience from his troops, who seemed to be slumping over before the transformed into furballs almost all at the same time, revealing a blond young woman who was dressed as a kunoichi, who was beginning to introduce herself.

"I am from the Biscotti Freelance Knights Ninja..." She said but was cut off by the captain, who was now lunging at her.

"I don't care about that! I just wanna know where you came from! He yelled as she sighed, activating her seal.

_**SEAL KNUCKLE!**_

With a burst of power and speed, she was in the captain's face in an eyeblink and she waylaid him with a powerful haymaker, followed by a powerful rising roundhouse kick that launched him into the air.

_**HORYUU RENGESHOU!**_

She lept after him into the air and caught up with him to finished the combo up. From the folds of her kimono top, she drew out a short Tanto blade.

_**SLASH!**_

With a quick swipe of her tanto, she beat the armored captain easily as he fell to the ground as a furball as she turned around.

"As I was saying, I am from the Biscotti Knights Ninja Corps, Yukikaze Panettone! Do not forget that!" She declared with a smile. As she resheathed her blade, Rico came up behind her with a couple of sacks.

"I got the rest of the supplies!" She yelled out as she ran up to her friend.

"Good. Now, we can lend some assistance to our comrades inside." Yukikaze replied as she loaded Rico onto her back, channeled some of her power into her legs, and took off over the rooftops in search of the others.

Eclaire managed to put some distance between her at the trio, giving herself some breathing room. Apparently, she bit off a little more than she could chew by takig on all three at once, but she still put up a huge fight and the Genoise were also wearing down.

"Damn...Idiots or not, they're still pretty good." She panted for breath.

"You finally reached your limit, eh, Droopy-Ears?" Jaune taunted.

"You sure put of a good fight, though." Vert commended.

"It is time that we take you down." Noir said as she readied a knife as was about to throw it...Until a shadow loomed over them. That shadow broke into several more as they looked you to see Yukikaze and Rico dumping grenades on them from a sack. With a burst of energy, they armed the bombs and left to the adjoining rooftop.

"Scatter!" Jaune yelled as the Genoise and Eclaire did just that, but they were intercepted by another person...Ichigo himself.

He held up Jaune and Noir by the collars of their tunics like kittens by the scruff.

"Now, what have you naughty little kittens been up to, hm? Maybe you could tell us where the princess is?" He said, sounding like he was chastizing children for being naughty.

They didn't really feel like arguing with him, since he was someone they greatly feared, especially now since he defeated not only Godwin this time, but also the princess! However, Jaune was known as the gutsy one of the group and it wouldn't really pay off here.

"No way! I'm not telling you a th...OW!" Jaune snapped, only to get thumped on her head by the tall blond.

"Princess's location, please." He asked again making some clones and retrieveing some rope.

"Nuh uh! The prince said not to!" Jaune fired back, making him sigh dramatically.

"I _did_ hope to avoid prying the info out of you by force, but you really leave me not other choice." He told them as his clones tied them up.

"Whoa...You're not going to...torture them? Are you?" Eclaire asked him, but he handed her a feather and had his clones remove their shoes.

"Yes we are...In a sense." He replied with a grin.

A few minutes later...

"BWA HA HA HA HA! STOP! I GOTTA PEE!" Jaune laughed hysterically as the torture session continued. Eclaire was really getting into this, getting a measure of payback from earlier. It was non-lethal, non-harmful,_ and_ hilarious.

"You are very good at this." Yukikaze commented.

"Meh...You get used to it." He replied as he turned back to his victim, allowing her to catch her breath.

"Now...Do you feel like telling us where she is?" He asked.

"Heh...Hehe...Fine..." She answered, still trying to catch her breath as she told them where the Princess was being held.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" He told them with a teasing grin as he turned to leave.

"H-hey! What about us?" Vert yelled.

"Oh...right. Eclaire...What do you think we should do with them?" He asked the Guard Captain.

"Heh heh..." She chuckled evilly. A few moments saw them suspended from one of the chadeliers by their legs.

"This _sooo_ isn't fair..." Jaune whined as she tried to keep her skirt down, or up.

"Jaune! You should have just told him!" Vert complained.

"I quite agree." Noir added, making Jaune go silent for a few moments before she spoke again.

"...I gotta pee." Jaune wimpered as the other two groaned.

On their way through the hallways, Yukikaze introduced herself to one half of the Hero Duo, as a ninja, but she could already tell.

"You are a shinobi, as well?" She asked, the blond fox-girl getting slightly excited.

"Yes...I am." He replied.

"Excellent! We must spar sometime!" Yuki replied happily, the thought of a good sparring session bringing a large smile on her face as they continued their search for their princess.

Back in the main hall, Shinku and Gaul were continuing their duel, weapons clashing and having long since abandoned fighting from atop their mounts. One final clash saw both of their weapons break, slightly injuring them both with scratches and cuts from the shrapnel.

"You're...Not bad, Hero." Gaul wheezed.

"You...either..." Shinku replied as Gaul regained some of his wind.

"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to end this little duel. Better luck next time..._Hero_." Gaul said as he charged up his Seal Cannon and aimed it at the exhausted Shinku, firing upon getting a good bead on him.

_'Damn...I'm sorry, Princess...'_ Shinku thought as the ball of energy got closer to him. He closed his eyes and waited for the hit to come, but the sound of metal embedding into stone interrupted him. He opened his eyes to see a familiar looking sword planted before him, warding off the seal spell with ease and glowing with a soft white light.

"What?" Gaul exclaimed. He was very powerful in his seal usage, next only to his sister, but this was insane! His next shock came when the owner of the sword came out of the shadows.

"Oh crap...This can't be good." He muttered as he saw not only Eclaire, Rico, and Yukikaze come out, but the one he'd been dreading to face as well, reclaiming his sword.

"That's about right, kiddo. Now, step aside and let us by or you can hang around with your little trio. Your choice." Ichigo told him simply.

"What did you do to them?" The young prince snarled, tensing to strike.

"Easy there, kid. Don't go picking a fight you can't win. Besides, they're fine as long as you cut them down before all of the blood rushes to their heads." He replied as the prince took off to rescue his Genoise.

"Thanks...He almost had me." Shinku thanked.

"It's nothing, kid. Let's just get our damsel in distress and get out of here." He replied as they entered the room she was being held in.

"Halt! Who are you?" Rouge demanded as he entered the room, Banon crouched defensively in front of Millhi.

"Ichigo! You came! Is Shinku with you?" The Dog Princess exclaimed happily as said person walked into the room along with Eclaire, Rico and Yukikaze.

"You all came for me! Even Yuki's back! Was Lady Brioche with you?" She asked.

"Of course, my Princess. She has been...entertaining herself with what remained of this fort's guards, but she is here, too." Yuki replied with her usual smile. Millhi then turned to her _captors_.

"Thank you for the hospitality that you have shown to me and thank Prince Gaul for me when you see him." Millhi requested of Rouge, who nodded in acknowledgement as the group left the castle in a hurry.

"Crap! The concert starts in 15 minutes! Not even Cellkulls can run that fast for that long!" Eclaire swore, but Shinku had an idea.

"Princess, this ring you gave me can turn into anything I need, right?" He asked her.

"Yes...It is only limited by your imagination!" Millhi chirped.

He concentraited for a moment, then a something not unlike a hoverboard appeared before them. He then climbed aboard and held his hand to the princess for her to take.

"This should get us back there in a hurry!" He said with a smile as she took his hand and climbed up with him. He looked back at the rest of the party, wondering how they would get back. Fortunately, Yuki and Ichigo had something worked out.

"You go on ahead. We can keep up. Just trust us." Ichigo told him as he rocketed off.

"Honestly...He'll be so worn out after this..." Eclaire mumbled, showing some concern. Ichigo and Yuki spotted it and kept it to themselves when another person on a Cellkull arrived...A very BIG Cellkull.

"Ah...Rico, Eclaire. It's been a while. How have you been?" The woman asked.

"Lady d'Arquien!" Eclaire cheered happily as the woman regarded the person she still hadn't met yet.

"You were quite impressive out there. Might you tell me your name?" Brioche requested.

"Ah...Well, we kind of have a time constraint, so it would probably be best to wait until we're back at the castle." Ichigo said sheepishly.

"Ah, yes...You are correct. We really should make haste. Eclaire and Rico can ride with me, but how will you make it back?" She asked.

"I'll make it there. Don't worry about how, I'll keep up on foot." He told her, noticing a little bit of concern and skepticism. With that out of the way, she thundered off on her Cellkull, Murakumo, Yuki and Ichigo right behind her. Yuki stayed with her lady, but Ichigo felt compelled to catch up with his young counterpart, utilizing his long range Shunshin to catch up quickly.

_**BACK AT THE CASTLE**_

"Awww...Somebody...Please let us down! We'll be good, I promise!" Vert whined as she heard footsteps drawing closer. The person was none other than Gaul himself...Being dragged by his ear by his elder sister.

"Ow! Hey! I'm sorry about what I did, okay? Leggo, sis!" Gaul whined.

"That's not enough! You caused a lot of trouble tonight!" She scolded as she let him go, but her hidden frustrations were clear as day.

"Bah! You're just cranky because that Ichigo guy beat you so easily! He had a harder time with Godwin!" Gaul teased, making her tail go stiff as a board in indigniation as she conked him on the noggin...HARD.

"Little brat..." She grumbled, but she was thinking something else.

_'He beat me so fast...I didn't even get to enjoy our little date! Aww...I wanna have a re-match!'_ She whined inwardly.

"Yeah...You actually _like_ that guy, don't cha?" Gaul added, pouring more fuel on the fire.

"Grr...RAHHHHH!" She roared as she chased him around to clobber her little annoyance, completely forgetting that there were people suspended above them.

"Nooooooo..." All three of them hoarsely cried out, the voices worn out from shouting for help all this time.

_**BACK WITH OUR HEROES AND HEROINES...**_

The rest of them had easily caught up to Shinku and the princess, but before they did, they had a slight moment to themselves.

"Shinku...I really want to thank you and the others for coming to rescue me..." She thanked him, blushing while she did it.

Hey shy expression was just so cute, that he couldn't help blushing himself. I mean, here he was, an normal Junior High kid that was off rescuing princesses with the help of a real life ninja, who he was starting to view as something of a mentor. On top of that, said princess was really cute and she seemed to blush when he was near.

"Ah...It's... Nothing, princess. It was nothing. I wouldn't have even gotten past the gate if Ichigo-san hadn't come. On top of that, I found out that both Godwin and Princess Leo were both there and if they had found us first, Eclaire and I would have been done for. Again, we have Ichigo-san to thank for the success." Shinku admitted.

"You're really modest...I like that." She confided in him shyly. To anyone else watching, it was plain as day that she had taken a shine to the younger blond hero. He was earnest in everything he did, and he had the tenacity to keep trying no matter what. Lastly, he was also modest, yet confident, that was plainly obvious. She enjoyed the times that she watched him through her mirror, seeing him give his all in everything he did.

However, her opinion of her other hero also went up. He was willing to tear that fort apart to rescue her and even plowed his way through two of Galette's most powerful soldiers to do it, proving that he was also very loyal. He was also wise and intelligent, too, as well as a great listener. She made the right choice in allowing him to stay. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go since his homeland was destroyed and his family gone, leaving him with nothing. But...He was a strong one. He shouldered all of that pain and pushed it aside of now...For her sake. She was ever so grateful to be blessed with both of her heroes.

"You know...I only just became the ruler of Biscotti a few months ago. All of the Knights I have used to serve my father, but I' a complete novice...and a failure. I've done nothing but cause trouble for you and Ichigo since you first came here. I'm so sorry..." Millhi confessed until he gently pulled her to her feet and turned her to face him.

"It's no trouble at all and I think Ichigo-san feels the same way! This is only my first day here and I've already had two wonderful and fun adventures!" Shinku reassured her.

"I also got to meet a really cute princess!" He admitted bashfully with a chuckle. She blushed prettily as she gave him a small smile.

_'My two heroes...I feel truly blessed.'_ She thought.

That being said, said other hero, Ichigo, came running and caught up with them using his teleportation technique.

"Are you okay, princess?" Ichigo asked her.

"Yes...I'm fine, Ichigo. Where are the others?" She inquired.

"They're not far behind and will be here shortly." He replied.

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. I know you are still tired and hurt..." She tried to apologize, but he wouldn't have it.

"Don't worry so much, princess. I know that you're new at this, so just take everything one step at a time and let us help you." He comforted her.

She gazed upon him and smiled gratefully as they blew through the castle gates and made it to the staging area behind them, Ichigo and Shinku going to their knees in exhaustion.

Ichigo still hadn't fully recovered from both the battles earlier that day and from his injury while Shinku had exhausted almost all of his energy trying to get her back in time. Both of them looked ready to pass out, but Millhi got down to their level and hugged them both, both of them still gasping for air and too tired to respond.

"Thank you...My brave Heroes..." She thanked them as she called for pillows and blankets for them so they could be comfortable, then she gently laid her exhausted heroes down to get the rest the rightfully earned as she left to get ready, then took the stage.

_'These two...They worked very hard to bring her back to us...'_ Amelita thought with a smile as the maids made sure they were as comfortable as possible.

_**"This song is dedicated to the heroes and heroines that made it possible for me to even be here right now, two of them in particluar! Shinku...Ichigo...Thank you both so much for not only bringing us victory, but for also rescuing me...I'll always be grateful to you." **_She announced as she got started with her scheduled song.

Ichigo awoke slightly to hear her sing.

"She's got...a beautiful voice." Ichigo said tiredly before he conked back out, a tired smile on his face.

The rest of the group, with Rolan and Amelita, all heard him and agreed. They also all agreed that they really went above and beyond the call of duty tonight and that they deserved to rest.

"I cannot wait to test how good he can really be once rested, My Lady." Brioche commented.

"Neither can I, Yuki...Neither can I." Brioche added, but the slight blush on the face of the Countess's cheeks spoke of a different sentiment brewing. It was faint, but Yuki's watchful eye caught it in a heartbeat.

_'My Lady...Could she really be feeling what I think she is?' _Yuki thought with a sly smile. She thought it best to keep this to herself for the time being.

_** A/N: **__Another chapter down. I've been in a real slump. I've been seperated from my family due to having to accept a job in Little Rock, Arkansas with Dassault Aviation. Granted, I'm being paid a good deal for being a contractor, but I miss my family and I'm not terribly keen on being stuck in a hotel room for six months. At least the room has a small kitchen and full sized fridge so I can cook for myself and make things cheaper._

_ Anyway, Third chapter down. The Princess Rescue mission has succeeded and now our little princess is starting to fall for the younger blond while the older blond has gained even more of her faith and trust. On top of that, it looks like Brioche might have the beginnings of a crush of her own on the older half of the Hero Duo. I've estimated her age to be around his own, his early twenties, say 24 years old, and she's been married before as well. I will be putting in a backstory for her in the next chapter that will explain the details._


	4. Chapter 4

_ Hey there...The next chapter is now ready for you to enjoy. I've had this chapter done for a month, but I just couldn't bring myself to complete it. My family and I have been going through some rough times and now my younger sister has divorced her husband. As luck would have it, she and her two children have moved in with me and I have been taking care of them all. It's been taking up all of my time along with making sure her ex-husband stays away from them, since he's a collosal asshole and I'm quite certain an abusive one, too. On top of all that, I've been doing side job after side job, trying to make a few extra bucks to support the extra mouths to feed, so mmy qriting has taken a back seat for a bit. I'll still try to write when I can, however. I will NOT abandon anything without finding someone to take it over or any prior notice._

_**BACKSTAGE **_

Millhi had just gotten finished with her performance and trotted backstage to check on her two heroes, who were still out cold. She motioned over to the head of her maids, Rizel Conchiglie, to come over to her.

"Rizel...Can you have two rooms made up and have them taken there? They...deserve a more comfortable place to sleep than a cold hard floor." The young princess requested.

"Of course, princess." The woman replied as she turned to the rest of the maids and relayed the orders. Within the next few minutes, the roomed were ready and the maids hefted them to their rooms...Well, the maids took Shinku to his since he was a good deal lighter while Rizel summoned a couple of Knights to assist her in moving Ichigo to his room.

Upon getting him onto the bed, Rizel proceeded to remove his battle coat and weapons but after she removed his vest, a chain fell out with a ring on it. She could tell that the ring was a wedding band.

_'I see...So he really was married. He must have been a devoted husband if he carries that ring where ever he goes. Poor man...'_ Rizel thought , a shred of sympathy welling within her. She overheard the part of his conversation with the princess when he told her what happened before he was summoned. She then drew the blankets over him and left him to rest up. She stopped at the door to look at him one more time.

"I hope you will continue to protect Princess Millhiore with the same conviction you showed tonight. Goodnight, Hero." She whispered as she left the room, heading next door to Shinku's to check on him.

Rizel opened the door to see the young boy sleeping peacefully, bringing a smile to her lips.

"He may be a troublesome boy at times...But he has done so well today and tonight. He's earned the rest..." She murmured as she saw him shudder in his sleep, a frown on his face.

"So...So many...So horrible..." He groaned in his sleep.

Rizel knew that Shinku had seen the aftermath of Ichigo's tragedy first hand and it was probably giving the young boy nightmares. She bent down and gave him a slight kiss on his forehead and he seemed to calm down afterwards.

"Sleep well..." She whispered to the boy as she left his room.

_**BACK AT FILLIANO CASTLE, TWO DAYS LATER...**_

Two full days has passed since the whole Princess Kidnapping debacle and things were finally beginning to wind down. The towns were doing business as usual and the occupying troops from Galette were packing up and heading home, leaving in droves. They had been gone for a good chunk of time and were eager to return to their familes and loved ones.

Back at the castle, there was a ceremony going on inside of the main hall of the castle. All of the regular Knights were lined up in ranks, standing at full attention before their princess. Even Yukikaze and Brioche were in full uniform for the occasion. Shinku and Ichigo, whose clothes had been washed and mended to get out the blood stains from his arrival, were fully rested and stood off to the side of the formation along with Ricotta, Yuki and Brioche.

"To all of you, my Knights, who have fought on despite our rash of defeats without giving up or losing hope, I praise you on our two consecutive victories. Thank you so much." Millhi thanked them gratefully as the shortest of the elders came forth.

"The time to present the rewards has come. Captain of the Royal Knights, Count Rolan Martinozzi, please present yourself before the princess." He commanded.

"Yes sir!" Rolan replied with a crisp response, smartly marching forward of out ranks and kneeling before the princess.

"This is all done quite formally." Shinku commented.

"What did you expect, kid? This is the military. Of course there's an air of professionalism. A shinobi like me was part of the military for own country." Ichigo replied.

"Exactly. This is a state event, so of course it will be formally conducted." Rico added as Rolan was presented with his payment, rising and returning to his spot in the ranks.

"Captain of the Close Guard, Countess Eclaire Martinozzi!" The elder called again as the short girl rogered up and moved as smart and crisply as her brother, with strict military discipline as she knelt before Millhi.

"Eclaire, because of your hard work and assisting our heroes on the battlefield not once, but twice in one day, I am very grateful to you. You were among the first to respond and come to my rescue. Thank you..." Millhi stated as she walked over to her.

"O-oh, it was nothing, princess. Your kind words give me too much credit..." Eclaire stammered lightly as Millhi gave her a pat on her head, her tail wagging happily.

"Eclaire seems to be enjoying herself quite a bit." Ichigo surmised aloud.

"Of course she is. The princess is something of a genius at giving head pats." Rico answered him.

"She makes you feel really good when she does it." Yuki added.

"So that's it, then..." Shinku said, understanding dawning upon the two heroes. Their attention was grabbed once again by the elders as the rest of the awardees were called and presented with their rewards.

After around a full hour, all of the knights had been called forth and the ceremony was about to be called to a close, but Millhiore halted it, much to everyone's confusion.

"I have one more matter to address. Will Hero Ichigo Uzumaki please step forward?" She requested. He was just as puzzled as everyone else was, but he followed what he deemed to be protocol and came forth, kneeling like the other knights had done. In a move that shocked everyone, she then walked up to him and got down to face level.

"I know that your past has been beyond harsh and that you have suffered tremendously, but you forced it all aside, going far above and beyond the call of duty. While badly wounded and exhausted, you helped to turn the tide of the battle and rallied our forces, then defeated the feared Godwin while Countess Martinozzi and Hero Shinku defeated Princess Leo. Later that night, after getting little rest, you then proceeded to lead the strike force that rescued me from my captors, defeating not only Godwin once again, but also Princess Leonmichelle herself in single combat to do so. Then, you ran alongside Hero Shinku, who was also still tired, the both you collapsing in exhaustion getting me back to the concert with time to spare." She announced, looks of awe dotting the crowd at his heroism and conviction. However, one thing puzzled the Knights that didn't know him. He was summoned on accident, but he still fought bravely for their sakes.

"I know what you all might be thinking. He wasn't meant to be summoned at all and he has no ties to our country. Yet, he was still willing to lay down his life to ensure that the horrible fate that befell his people and loved ones would not happen to us, leading to his valuable assistance in our victories. This speaks very highly of his honor and courage. As such, I present him with his reward for defeating two main enemy leaders and several smaller officers, along with his part in completeing the mission. He and Hero Shinku have earned my utmost trust and have earned the title of hero." She said as she handed him a sack of their currency.

In the crowd, Eclaire and Rolan, who knew the truth about his terrible and very recent loss, bowed their heads solemnly. Shinku, who was actually there and saw the aftermath, also bowed his head, his fists and jaw clenched tightly as he tried to banish the memory from his mind. Brioche and Rico were all puzzled by Shinku's sudden somber reaction.

_'What ever happened must have been horrible.'_ Brioche thought.

"Eclaire told me a little of what happened to him...His wives and family were all killed in a horrible war, leaving him as the only survivor. He didn't deserve what happened to him...No one does." Yukikaze weighed in on the subject, sorrow etched into her tone.

"That's...so sad..." Rico replied, tearing up. Her intelligent, but still very young and innocent mind was having a hard time coping with what she had heard. He was really nice to her, so of course she would feel sorry for him.

"Indeed...But, he is also quite strong willed. He managed to keep his sorrow from swallowing him whole and fought on with conviction. He is someone worthy of our trust in battle." Brioche said, her respect for him climbing a few more notches since the previous night. She was beginning to become quite interested in her new fellow sword master.

_'And possibly more...He's like me in a way...'_ The powerful Countess thought as Ichigo spoke up.

"Thank you, my princess. You offered me a home and a purpose to serve when I had nothing left and nowhere to go. I will admit that I felt lost and a bit frightened that I was doomed to walk alone again, but you saved me from that fate. For that, I will always be grateful to you. So...From the bottom of my heart, thank you." He thanked her in a low timbre voice. She then raised her hands and cupped his face as best she could.

"No...Thank you. Nothing I can say will bring your loved ones back to life, to undo the calamity and evil that destroyed your homeland, but maybe you will find something new in this world. Your loved ones, your family wouldn't want you to remain alone for the rest of your life, of that I am certain. I wish to be the first to tell you...Welcome home." She told him gently as her small arms circled around the back of his neck, giving him the tightest embrace her tiny frame could muster. She wanted to show him that she truly appreciated all that he put himself through for the sake of her people and herself, and to give him the comfort she knew he was sorely needing, but wouldn't dare to ask for.

Many were shocked by her display and a small few scandalized, but again, to those who knew the truth, they understood. The princess didn't do this because she had something to gain, but as an act of kindness, something she was well known and loved by her people for. Now, this powerful soldier had sworn his loyalty to her in return for giving him a home and a purpose. The elders could see in his eyes that he had indeed suffered greatly, but he was completely sincere when he swore his loyalty. Amelita had informed them on the backgrounds of both heroes and they couldn't be any more different. Shinku was from a very peaceful world _**(Compared to Narutoverse)**_ while Ichigo hailed from a war torn world, where he gained his experience.

The towering blond ninja smiled as he ruffled her hair slightly, making her tail wag happily.

"Thanks. You will be a good soverign...I know it." He told her kindly as he stood up, lifting her gently along with himself. He then took a step back.

"Once again, I am happy to be of service." He added with a formal bow as he walked back to where he was standing before. He felt...better than he did before. He was tempted to isolate himself from everyone and only come out when he was needed, but she convinced him that he needed to start over again, to live again.

"I now call this ceremony to a close!" The princess announced as everyone went back to their daily duties about the castle. Ichigo was about to head out to the training area to get some physical training in when Yukikaze and Brioche walked up to him.

"We wanted to know if you would be interested in a sparring session. Yuki wants to see how good you are with your bare hands while I want to test your fighting style against my own. What do you say, Ichigo?" Brioche requested with a grin. Her response was a wider grin.

"Let's do it. Who wants to go first? I'm feeling much better today after a good breakfast and a good night's rest." He replied. He'd gotten his first real good look at Brioche since the night of the rescue. She was taller than most women and broad shouldered, but still had a charming beauty about her.

"We can decide that when we get there. Come...Let us go to the sparring grounds." Brioche told him as they both walked out of the hall.

Rolan overheard them and wanted to see how he would perform against two of Biscotti's most powerful and skilled fighters, many of his knights having the same idea as their commander. Shinku and Eclaire were also curious about how good he really was when he wasn't handicapped by fatigue and wounds, so they followed in earnest. Rico found herself interested in watching how he would be able to handle Yuki, who was the most proficient hand to hand fighter the Biscotti Knights have ever seen, so she was coming, too.

_**BISCOTTI ARMY TRAINING GROUNDS**_

The small group took their time walking out to the partially secluded training area just outside the outer walls in back of the castle, away from where they could possibly do serious harm. Brioche took a chance to spark up a conversation with him about his sword style while Yuki smiled. She felt that her lady deserved another chance, since her last chance at romance was little better than a complete disaster...

_**FLASHBACK...BRIOCHE'S PAST...**_

_The kingdom she originally hailed from was beyond the mountains to the south and near the desert called Izumo, home to a vulpine-like race similar to how Biscotti had canines and Galette had felines. Her father had come from Biscotti, their emmisary and young Count Gaston d'Arquien. He met and fell in love with a beautiful young woman whose name was Sakura Ichinose, the daughter of a local magistrate and after a year, Brioche was born. She was looked down upon in her original society since her father was an outside and herself a half-blood, but she worked hard to prove her worth, becoming one of the finest sword users around. However, her father fell in battle with a highly unfriendly power from the deserts of Arley to the south where Flonya Protection was non-existant, the homeland of the Saurian warrior tribes. They were a race of lizard-like people that thrived in the desert and loved to fight. After he died, her mother soon fell ill and shortly after died of heartbreak, leaving the 15 year old Brioche alone with her grandfather. He tried to be fair and supportive toward his granddaughter and set up an arranged marriage with the son of the ruling lord who had his eye on her. He believed that he was only looking out for her, wanting her to be provided for. He knew he wouldn't be around forever._

_ She felt as if she owed her grandfather a debt, so she consented to it and after she turned 17, she was married off. It went fine...for the first few months. He then started to change his treatment of her, become scathingly abrasive in his treatment of her, however her martial prowess prevented him from even laying a hand on her. After a full year of his treatment and philandering, she'd had enough of him. She challanged him in order to break the marriage contract with her honor intact, but he acted in a cowardly manner, contracting an outside ronin to fight in his stead. She soundly defeated the ronin in a fair fight, but her husband cried foul and tried to keep her in his thrall to save face. Her grandfather and Daimyo lord protested his claim and set her free...But she would have to leave Izumo for good. Her grandfather sincerely apologized for not being able to help her more, feeling that he was losing the only part of his dear daughter that was left. After a sorrow filled goodbye and bidding farewell to her parent's graves, she set out into the world._

_ It wasn't long after that when she found Yuki. She was all alone when Brioche found her, so she offered to take her with her on her journey. Two years later saw her roaming into Biscotti, where she met the soverign, King Basillio Filliano Biscotti. After talking with her, he found that she was the daughter of Count d'Arquien, but he had some bad news for her. Her former husband, who had since become the Daimyo, was demanding that she return, but no one knew where to find her. He offered to her, her father's rank and place in court, which was her birthright, to protect her in case he ever tried to come and take her by force._

_ She accpeted and declared her nationality to be Biscotti, her father's homeland, as she set out with Yukikaze to eradicate monsters. She occasionally came back and also communicated with her Grandfather, but after the Queen died of illness, she took to staying close to home. Soon after that, the Biscotti Ninja Corps was established, with Yukikaze being one of the leaders. Finally, when the good King himself died and his young daughter became the soverign, she took missions closer to home so she could help the young girl with running the country alongside Amelita and Rolan as best she could._

_**END...**_

_'If I ever see him again, it will be too soon.'_ The lady warrior thought, a frown marring her lovely features.

"What's wrong, Lady Brioche?" Ichigo asked her.

"I'm fine...and just call me Brioche, Ichigo." She asked of him, another slight blush on her face with a small smile.

_'However...I may have another chance...'_

Yuki, Rico, and Eclaire all saw that and grinned to themselves. Brioche had never reacted like that before and as girls, they instinctually knew what it meant.

"Lady Brioche...I think she likes him." Yuki whispered to Rico.

"Really? That's...Mmmph!" Rico chirped loudly, only for Yuki to clamp her mouth shut.

"Shh... Let this happen naturally." Yuki told her as she let the small genius go.

"Who like's who...Oh! You mean sempai and...YEOWCH!" Shinku nearly blurted out, but Eclaire stomped on his foot to silence him.

"What'd you do that for, Eclaire?" Shinku half yelled and half whined as he rubbed his aching foot.

"You idiot! Like I told Rico...Don't screw this up by blabbing about it!" Eclaire hissed at him, the rest of the Knights getting a good chuckle out of it.

"Ah...Young love is a wonderful thing." Rolan teased his kid sister, who sputtered indignantly.

"WH-WHAT? Me? In love with that...that _doofus_? Take that back!" Eclaire yelled at him drawing the attention of the two who were already talking.

"Me and _her_? No way am I gonna fall for a violent tomboy like her!" Shinku fired back.

"VIOLENT? I am NOT violent! I am a _proper _lady and a soldier, thank you!" Eclaire retorted as she huffed, the two turning away from one another. However, they could note a faint blush on their faces.

"They seem like they might actually be a couple someday..." Brioche commented with a giggle.

"Ha ha...I can see that happening, too..." Ichigo replied with a chuckle, but lowered his voice as he leaned to whisper to her.

_"However...I think our little princess is sweet on the kid and Eclaire is hiding something along those lines. He's a lucky boy..."_ He whispered to her, trying to contain peals of laughter.

Brioche couldn't help but agree with him on that account. Despite Shinku being somewhat of a mental midget in certain areas, she could see what could attract her highness to the boy. However, her attentions were now back on the man beside her. She was learning more about his nature and liking it more by the minute.

Finally, they arrived at the training grounds and Ichigo went through a couple of small stretches, unholsterng his weapons while Brioche and Yuki did the same, getting ready for what was about to happen. Finally, Yuki stood up and got into a fighting stance. Brioche looked at her, but Yuki winked at her to trust her.

"My Lady...Will you do the honors?" She asked. Brioche nodded as she began to raise her hand, Ichigo and Yukikaze both getting into their combat stances.

He looked over Yukikaze's form. She seemed to use an amalgamation of Koppouken and Ninjitsu, built to suit her slender and agile frame. The blond fox-girl looked to be very fast and he knew he couldn't afford to underestimate her. She was a kunoichi, and fellow shinobi, and to underestimate her would be an insult.

His own personal style, which he had built from the ground up after getting married, consisted of basic Jyuuken that was taught to him by his wife Airi and the Goken, taught to him by Gai years before. He mixed the Jyuuken's defensive moves with the powerful onslaught of the Goken and he had created his own unique hybrid Taijutsu style. Granted, he still had the other forms he knew, but this was his favorite.

"Go!" The brunette beauty yelled, the two fighters blurring from sight due to the extreme speeds they were moving at. The only one that seemed to be able to follow them even somewhat was Brioche herself.

The only things that the rest of the spectators could see were random flashes of movement and brief, ghostly afterimages from the two of them as they continued to trade blows at a frenzied pace.

_'Whoa...She's really fast and she's got some serious skill and power to go with it! She's at least a Jounin level kunoichi and would give Anko a run for her money in speed.' _ He thought appraisingly.

_'So fast...And blocking his attacks are starting to hurt. I can finally go all out against someone unarmed and they can fight back. Here we go!'_ She thought as she cranked up her speed even higher, surprizing her opponent and playing him some sweet chin music, lifting him into the air.

_**HORYUU RENGESHOU!**_

"Ngh!" He grunted as the blow connected with his lower chin, cutting his lip.

_'Damn...She got in under my guard...I need to flip this around.'_ He said inwardly as he acted quickly to avoid a finishing move.

As Yuki lept up to finish her combo, he suddenly spun on her and batted her back down to the ground with a quick axe kick, dirupting her momentum. He landed a short distance away in a crouch as he thought of what to do next.

"You're really good, Yuki...I going to have to get serious now." Ichigo announced as his energies began to spike at alarming levels, a visible aura of gentle blue surrounding him as small pebbles and dirt were lifting off of the ground around him.

_**KAIMON...KAI!**_

The air around him seemed to explode with power as he disappeared from view in a seemingly inhuman burst of speed, a chunk of the ground cleaved by his feet as he left. The next thing Yuki knew, she was kicked into the air, the air driven from her stomach as she soared above them. Before anyone could see him, he was already behind her, white wrappings lacing themselves around her and preventing any escape. Next, he cinched his arms around her, tipped them downward and began to spin them at an astonishing pace toward the ground...Head first.

_**OMOTE RENGE!**_

__One the ground, the rest of the spectators were watching in awe of the two combatants. The rest of the Biscotti Knights never knew Yukikaze was so blindingly fast, nor that she was so strong. She had indeed put up a tremendous fight. However, their newest arrival had some serious skill and power of his own, along with that hidden reserve of raw power that came out of nowhere. Shinku was watching in childish wonder, wondering if his sempai could teach him how to do that.

_'Holy crap! It's like watching that Dragon-whatever anime when I was younger! These guys are so cool!'_ Shinku thought in starry-eyed wonder.

"Yuki's being beaten...No way..." Eclaire said, her voice a whisper.

_'This is...Incredible...Not even I can best Yuki in hand to hand combat...You interest me even more now...But will Yuki be alright?'_ She thought as she called the match to a halt before anyone got hurt.

On her command, he stopped spinning and released her from his grip, landing while holding her bridal style and setting her down quickly upon touch down. He then slumped to one knee as the fatigue set in.

"You...beat me fairly, Ichigo-san. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to spar with more sometime." Yuki told him with a tired smile as she tried to regain her breath and shake off the nausea from all of the spinning.

"You surprized me too, Yuki. You would have been one of our most elite ninja where I came from." He applauded her efforts while regaining some of the strength opening one of the Hachimon had sapped form him. He was able to open at least three of them without any adverse effects as long as the release was short in duration, but going beyond that would start to do damage to him, as well. He was able to open five of the Hachimon by the time the war started and opened the sixth later on. He then noticed that Brioche was walking up to them, grinning widely.

"That was nothing short of incredible! I have never seen anyone push Yuki so far." Brioche commended.

"That technique...What was that? It felt like the very air had become heavy before you attacked." Yuki inquired. She was anxious to know about such a powerful technique.

"That was the Hachimon and the Renge. These are all part of the Goken style that I use in concert with the basics of another style, the Jyuuken. What I did was open up the first of eight inner gates and used the Omote Renge." Ichigo explained.

"What are these inner gates that you speak of? I've never heard of them before." Rolan asked.

Okay...I'm not sure if you have access to Chakra here, but I can still explain. The Eight Inner Gates, the Hachimon, act as limiters to prevent you from accessing 100% of your body's full strength. I know that many people would see this as bad, but it's a good thing they're there, because if you tried to access all of your power at once, your body would destroy itself. You see, each of the gates are located on different points of the body. The first gate, the Kyumon or Gate of Opening, is in the brain. It allows you full access to 100% of your muscular strength and allows you to use the Omote Renge, the Primary Lotus."

"That's what you used, right?" Shinku asked, getting a nod.

"The second gate, Kaimon, Gate of Healing, is also located in the brain. It forces your body to recover it's strength and further increases it. Next, we have the third gate, Seimon the Life Gate, located in the spine. It increases your blood flow, but has the side effect of turning your skin red because of it, but it allows access to the Ura Renge, the Reverse Lotus. Located on the spine as well is the fourth gate, Shomon the Gate of Pain. It further increases you speed and power, but you muscles will begin to tear if you cannot handle it. The fifth Gate, Tomon the Gate of Closing, further increases your abilities and is located just above the abdomen. The sixth Gate is the Keimon, the Gate of Viewing, located in the stomach and allows access to the Asa Kujaku, the Morning Peacock, so named because of the plume of chakra that arises behind the user like a Peacock's plume. It also releases vast amounts of raw power and this is as far as I can go. The seventh gate is the Kyomon, the Gate of Shock and located below the stomach. It allows access to the Daytime Tiger, Hirudora, which is an incredibly powerful concussive blast from a single punch. The side effect to opening this gate is that it _will_ shred your muscles and leave you in excruciating pain from the slightest touch." He told them as he paused for a moment, before explaining the _real_ horror of abusing the power of the Hachimon.

"The eighth and final gate, Shimon, the Death Gate, located in the heart. It gives the user power that makes the other gates pale in comparison...but it _will_ kill the user shortly after. No training can save you from it. Nothing..." He told them gravely.

It all sounded very, _very _dangerous to even use. Yes, it would grant you unfathomable power, but said power came at a ghastly cost. However...

"Who...Who would go that far? Who would do something so dangerous?" Ricotta asked, frightened of the aspect of a technique that was simply suicide at full power. His eyes grew cold as he stared off and explained...Something that still bothered him.

"War...can make people desperate. The man who taught this to me was one of my best friends, Maito Gai. He was protecting the civilians and trying to help them escape when he used all eight of the Hachimon in a last ditch effort to get them to safety...But he died in vain. A traitor had already lead the enemy to their hiding place and slaughtered them all and left him to die, knowing that he failed. He gave his life because it's what we do for our people, giving everything that we are for the safety of our loved ones." Ichigo said, his tone cold and his mismatched eyes seeming to freeze over, his Ki unconsciously leaking out.

Ricotta recoiled in fear, thinking he was angry at her for bringing it up. He saw her frightened face and sighed, letting go of his Ki and walking over to her. He knelt down to face her, but she flinched away from him fearfully. She then felt herself being drawn into a gentle embrace. She was shaking badly.

"I'm not angry with you, Rico...Not at all, okay?" He told her, trying to calm her down and get her to stop shaking. She was still quaking in fear, so he began to gently stroke her hair and placed her head to his chest, his hearbeat calming her down.

The young genius girl suddenly clutched at him tightly as she let out all of her fear. After a tense minute, she finally stopped shaking, pulling away slightly to look at him.

"Do you feel any better?" He asked her gently.

"Uh...Uh huh..." She answered him, still sniffling.

"Look...I'm sorry that I scared you. I didn't mean to do that. It's just...the past is haunting, but that is no excuse for my lack of control." He told her as he apologized honestly, the shame clear as day in his tone and in his expression.

"It's...okay. You were nice enough to care about calming me down and comforting me. Thank you." She thanked and forgave him. Before she walked back to her friends, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, still having to get on her toes to do it even though he was already knelt down. After that, she blushed brightly and ran back behind Eclaire to hide it.

All of the females present all thought the same thing in unison...

_"Aww...That was really sweet!"_

For Brioche, this was the second time he showed them a very gentle side of his personality. She could tell that everything he did and said to comfort Rico was complete devoid of any deception. He meant every word of what he said and did and that was a very good sign. The princess seemed to trust him fully, not to mention he treated her not only with the respect her station deserved, but also like a younger sibling, something the lonely young princess craved. Add that to the fact that Shinku seemed to take to him as a mentor-like figure, looking to him for cues and advice, that he was a decent role model for the impressionable young man. It meant that he would be good husband material and very likely a good parent.

_'Those women he was married to...They were truly blessed with him as a husband. I find myself...slightly envious of them but more sure about my choice.'_ She thought.

As for Ricotta, she had taken a liking to him from the fort, but now she was tettering on the edge of being smitten with him. But sadly, she knew she was far too young for him and that Brioche already had her sights, and possibly her heart, set on him. Her mind, while mature in someways, was still that of a young girl in many others. Being an only child and a prodigy made her life a fairly lonely one. She couldn't really play with her peers, since she was too intelligent for them to understand. On top of that, her parents died when she was only a toddler, leaving her in the care of the orphanage. At the tender age of five, she was recruited as a researcher in the R and D labs. Granted, she became a close personal friend to the princess herself, but her work constantly got in the way. After the King died and Millhi took up the throne, the time they spent together was cut even shorter. She longed for adults to look up to, but she was the one people looked to for answers and they treated her as an adult, too. She felt really alone, but Ichigo gave her the treatment and comfort she needed. She had a new person she felt she could confide in.

The situation was resolved with satisfactory results and Rolan had to commend him on how he handled Rico. He was taking some time to rest up before he faced Brioche head to head. She wanted to talk to him some more, but was at a loss for a subject. Luckily, Yuki had an idea.

_"My Lady...Take these over to him and ask him to eat with you."_ She told her mistress, handing her a small box of dumplings made by Yuki herself. She was quite the cook and everything she made for them on the road was a delight to eat. Brioche was no slouch herself, but hadn't made anything that morning before they left the compound. After all, it was Brioche's recipe that she learned from her mother.

_"Yuki...What are you up to?" _ She asked her friend.

_"Don't play coy with me, My Lady...I know you fancy him, so I'm just lending you a hand. Just tell him you made those yourself."_ The blond Fox-girl urged.

_"But, I didn't..." _Brioche protested a bit before Yuki cut her off.

_"I learned this from you, remember? Now go!"_ Yuki insisted. Brioche sighed as she took the small bundle over to him and sat down next to him. She felt strange. She never really felt this way about any male before, not even her ex-husband.

"Are you hungry?" She asked him, earning a growl from his stomach.

"Eh heh...Yeah. The Renge always leaves me hungry." He told her honestly.

"Then here...Some meat buns for you." She offered them to him.

"Really? Thanks!" He cheered as he took one and bit into it, his eyes going wide.

"Whoa...This is really good! Did you make this?" He asked. She stole a look over to Yuki, who nodded.

"Yes, I did. You really like them?" The brunette beauty asked him in a rather uncharacteristicly demure way.

"Yeah! You're a really good cook, Brioche!" He complimented her as he dug in.

"What is she doing?" Shinku asked, puzzled by Brioche's behaivor.

"You forgot already? Honestly..." Eclaire huffed as Rico took over.

"Lady Brioche likes him...A lot..." Rico whispered to him.

"EH? She likes sem..." He yelled, nearly blurting out the truth but Eclaire slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Shut up! Let her tell him that and don't you dare ruin it for her!" Eclaire chastized.

"Alright, alright...I don't wanna ruin anything for sempai. He seems to like it here...Like he's found a new home." Shinku agreed with her.

Eclaire gave him a sad look of understanding as she turned to watch them again. They seemed to fit naturally, since Brioche often hides how she feels about things. Now, she is having a bit of a liberation of the heart, it seemed. They had some interesting things in common, as in they both knew what it was like to be married at one time and both were wounded souls. Maybe the balm they needed...Was each other.

Rolan was watching with grin, himself. He knew what Brioche was up to, but wouldn't say anything unless asked. After all, Ichigo was trying to help him work up the guts to ask Amelita out on a date, so he could help him a bit in return. Brioche was quite sought after by many who would try to court her, but she would challenge them to combat and they would lose...Horrendously. It was her defense mechanism. Now, it seemed as though Ichigo would go through her trial by fire as they stood up, stood twenty paces apart and drew their weapons.

"Ready...GO!" Yuki yelled out.

The two fighters dashed in and clashed in a brilliant display of sparks from their weapons as they locked into a stalemate. She grinned approvingly at his speed as they forced themselves apart and traded blows. She slashed from the side and he parried. He thrusted and she spun out of the way. However odd that it seemed, they looked like they were truly enjoying themselves in the midst of heated combat if the grins on their faces meant anything. They finally seperated and gauged each other. Both were having a blast.

"You...are very skilled with your weapon, Ichigo." Brioche panted.

"You, too. I haven't faced an opponent like you in a long time..." He admitted to her.

_'She's at least on par with my mother...Highly impressive.'_ He thought in addition to his comment.

"What do you say we end this with a flourish?" She winked at him playfully, making his flush slightly, but grinning at the prospect.

"Let's do it. Technique for technique." He agreed as he released his newly recovered Holy Chakra to use one of his better Kenjutsu moves. It wasn't as potent as it was when he still had Sakuhime within him, but she loved him enough to leave it with him...As a reminder of their time together in the same body.

Brioche returned the favor by releaseing some of her power, her seal appearing behind her as she dropped down into her combat stance.

The silence was deafening. A few Knights had to check to if they could still hear or not. A butterfly was floating onto a flower between them. They watched it and as soon as it took off, they pounced.

_**RAISEN!**_

_** AMEKAKERU NO HIRAMEKI!**_

__In a flash, the two had crossed, swords lowered as they had struck. At first, it would seem like they missed, but after a moment passed at they looked at each other, the effects showed. His jacket was now shredded, but her coat was as well...along with part of her skirt, but she didn't seem to mind as she inspected the damage. Instead of hiding it, she grinned brightly.

"Lady Brioche! You should cover yourself!" Eclaire gasped as Shinku next to her sat there with a glazed look in his eyes and a dopey grin.

"You pervert!" She yelled as she clonked him on the head and ran to cover her up.

He got a good look at her currently less than decent state, but couldn't help but admiring her figure. She was a very beautiful woman and even the ears and tail didn't seem to matter all that much to him. If anything, it gave her an exotic look and added to her appeal.

_'At least she's my age and not like lolita battle junkie...I mean, Princess Leo. She is a very beautiful girl, but she's too young...and wouldn't understand.'_ He thought, his thoughts going to the teenage princess Leo. Leo was very, VERY interested in him, but he felt that she wouldn't understand half of what he'd been through.

However, he couldn't help but notice that Brioche seemed...A bit friendlier than most...Almost as if...

_'Does she...Like me?'_ He asked himself as she spoke to him.

"That was an excellent fight! We should really do this again sometime." She told him, her eyes speaking volumes about her intentions. He'd become MUCH better at telling what people were thinking as opposed to years ago when he was younger and more naive about those matters.

_'Yep...That settles THAT debate. She does. But...I don't know if I'm ready to try again yet...'_ He thought, still thinking of Rin and Airi...and of Hitomi, his first love. The memories he had of their time together meant everything to him. But...Third time's a charm, right?

"Say, um...Brioche? Can we...talk later? Alone? I got...something I want to ask you..." He asked her sheepishly.

_'Oh my...Will he really ask My Lady what I think he will?'_ Yukikaze inwardly squealed in delight.

Rolan and Eclaire shared a look and grin between them, the siblings thinking the same thing. Brioche was acting strangely as of late, but this was the reason why. The mighty Countess and Battle Goddess had met her match...in more ways than one. They also knew that the Princess and a few others would be delighted to hear about this.

Since the matches were over, they all broke up and headed back to their duties for the day, but they didn't notice a peculiar camera from a nearby hedge. It caught everything that happened as it was broadcasting live to a certain someone...A certain Princess who's not terribly happy about this recent development.

_**GALETTE CASTLE**_

"Damn that Brioche..I _won't_ lose to her!" Princess Leonmichelle growled as she banged her fist on her chair. She then rose from it to go to her viewing chamber. After all, she had other things to worry about.

She made it to her viewing chamber, where she did her star readings to possibly predict the future, but it was a horrid sight. The mirror showed three people, laying in pools of their own blood. Two males with blond hair and the female with pink hair, the taller of the three draping himself over the others as if trying to shield them. At the bottom to the mirror, a description of what had happened bore it's grim message.

_Princess Millhiore, the bearer Holy sword Exillion, Hero Shinku, bearer of the Holy weapon Palladion, and Hero Ichigo, Guardian from a foregin world will all die in 30 days. This cannot be changed._

This newest revelation chilled the young princess to the bone. Despite how she appears, Millhi is like a younger sister to her and would never allow this to pass if she could help it, but the Heroes was well? This only convinced her to step up her war plans in an attempt at prevent off this horrible portent from even coming to pass.

"I can't let this happen...No matter what..." She swore as she swept from the room.

_A/N: Hn...Another chapter down. As stated above, I've been busy with many things and trying to find a better job on top of that. I've been having to settle for crap jobs when I have training that makes a four year degree obsolete. I've been a Navy fighter craft mechanic and technician for over a decade, but no one will hire us._

_ **UPDATE**_

_ Fixed up a discrepancy...Been busy now that I've gone back to College, getting my A&P Certification._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Oi...A new chapter is now here for you all to enjoy. I've been insanely busy as of late, what with college and moving and family, so please enjoy.**_

_**FILIANNO CASTLE, MEETING ROOM**_

It had been two weeks since the kidnapping incident and things had been smoothed over. In fact, as a punishment to Prince Gaul and his three underlings for masterminding the whole thing, they were to work for Rizel for a week with her house keeping department. The strict maid was given instructions from Princess Leonmichelle to put them through their paces during their stay and as for Gaul...He was forced to wear the dress and head piece.

_**FLASHBACK...DAY AFTER THE CEREMONY**_

_"Aw! C'mon, Rizel! I can't wear THIS!" He whined, to which she fixed him with a light glare that forestalled further protests._

_"Your sister Her Highness specifically requested this. Any arguments may be directed at her." Rizel retorted casually as she handed out workloads for the day. The girls from the Genoise, more specifically Jaune, groaned when she saw whose room was on her list, the very person that had them tied up, tickle tortured, and left to hang around upside down._

_"Ooh...Tough luck drawing that psychopath." Vert winced, Noir agreeing with her as they ventured off on their assignments._

_Jaune made her way up to his room and knocked on the door, the door opening when she did so._

_"Hello? Anybody in here?" She called out into the room to find that he wasn't there, seeing his massive main sword and smaller blade standing in the corner and an album of some sort resting on his desk, open. The curious girl was first drawn to the album and looked through it, seeing a younger, much happier, stubble-free version of her tormentor along with others that she presumed to be his family._

_"He cleans up real nice..." She muttered appraizingly. As she looked around more, she saw a younger blond who had whisker marks in the picture, who looked to be around her age. _

_"Ooh...He's kinda cute." She whispered._

_Next, she was drawn to his sword, inspecting it closely. Like the curious kitten she is, she tried to lift it, only to meet with embarrassing failure._

_"What the hell is this thing made of? What kind of freak is this guy?" She blurted out._

_"The kind that doesn't like snoopers very much, young lady." A voice called out from the doorway. There stood the occupant of the room, all 6+ feet of him, not looking too pleased. He slowly made his way into the room as she suddenly found the floor very interesting, her ears and tail drooping. He couldn't help but notice that she looked like a kitten that knew it was in trouble. Pinching the bridge of his nose to ward off irritation, he spoke._

_"Listen...I can understand that you're curious since I don't have a tail or ears like the rest of you, but you shouldn't really snoop around in my room like that. I've got things that I'd...like to keep private." He told her as he moved over to the album and closed it._

_"Um...W-would you mind telling me...What that sword is? I can't even lift it!" She exclaimed._

_"That? It's called the Ensis Celesti, the Holy Blade. It's made out of Orichalcum, but it's semi-sentient." He told her._

_"What's that mean?" She asked._

_"It means that it won't let just anybody use it. It chooses its master, and it chose me." He explained as her gaze lingered on the other blade._

_"What kind of sword is this one? I've never seen one like it before." She asked._

_"This type of sword is called a Chokuto, given to me by my teacher and Grandfather. It's called the Chakra no Kiba, the Chakra Fang." Ichigo explained._

_"Wow..." She muttered as she watched him draw it from it's sheath, a keen, unearthly sharp blade glistening in the light._

_"Yeah...This is a true shinobi weapon and my reserve weapon." He replied._

_"Shinobi...What is that?" She asked him honestly. This was much better than hanging out in public by her ankles from a lamp post, since their last meeting ended that way. While she pondered this fact, something clicked with her._

_"Ah! I know where I heard that before! It's where Yukikaze and Lady Brioche are from originally!" Jaune realized._

_"Where would that be?" Ichigo asked her._

_"I think they were from a Kingdom to the south called Izumo. The names of the people there were just like yours." Jaune explained to him. The conversation ended there when she stated that she had to get back to work, but not without arranging to train with him when she heard that he was already training the younger hero. She really wanted to spar with the man who defeated her idol, General Godwin._

_**END...**_

That got Ichigo interested in where she came from, but it was still a bit of a sensitive subject with her. Speaking of which, the two took more time to talk, whenever they found the time. Ichigo found himself busy when he was asked to implement a training program for the knights by Rolan and the Princess herself. This was something Eclaire and Shinku were looking forward to...Until they got to the weight training portion. They were already immersed into it, so training went on as usual since Ichigo and Shinku were still adjusting to life in Biscotti. Ichigo kept himself busy planning out the schedule while Shinku helped out around the castle in his spare time...

_**FLASHBACK...THREE DAYS AFTER THE CEREMONY**_

_A few days after the ceremony, Rolan had all of the Knights training when Shinku walked over with Rico, helping her out with delivering some food to the knights. Rolan spotted the pair walking up and walked over to them._

_"Oh...Helping out? Thank you." He told them._

_"It's nothing." Shinku replied as Rolan caught the attention of the rest of his knights._

_"Hey! We've got some treats from the kitchen! Let's take a break!" Rolan called out, the knights complying as Rico called out to Eclaire._

_"Hey! We brought some treats for everyone." She told her friend, but she declined._

_"Not for me, thanks. I want to train a little more." Eclaire replied._

_"Oh? That's rare." Rico commented as Shinku's interest was piqued. He wanted to test himself against her._

_"I'll be your opponent!" He offered with no small amount of glee. Before Eclaire could reply, Rolan spoke up._

_"That would be wonderful!" He said as he called out to his troops._

_"Everyone! There will be a sparring match between the Captain of the Close Guard and Hero Shinku! Please pay close attention!" He ordered. This really got the interest of the troops as they responded in unison._

_"Yes, sir!"_

_Eclaire could only shake her head in exasperation at what her brother was doing. She turned her attention to her opponent._

_"What weapon will you be using?" She asked. He walked over to the weapon rack and pulled a standard sword._

_"I'll try this!" He said as he put on a small display. He flung the sword into the air, spun the scabbard in his off hand and caught it easily, garnering some applause and a snort from Eclaire._

_"What a show off..." She muttered as the wind shifted behind her._

_"Yep. Completely unnecessary." Ichigo spoke up from behind her, spooking her._

_"Don't do that!" She yelled at him as he ignored her indignant shout and walked over to her brother._

_"Ah...Hero...I mean, Ichigo. Have you come to see us train?" Rolan asked._

_"Yeah...Sorta. I just saw that little display. The boy has skill, but he's a bit on the showy side. I'm still trying to break him of his showboating habit." Ichigo commented as he watched on._

_ Eclaire and Shinku sized each other up as they assumed their stances as Shinku shed his scabbard, tossing it aside. Eclaire was eager to wipe the grin off of his face, so she lunged in with surprizing speed. Shinku managed to parry the blow and opened up the volley of slashes, thrusts and blows that continued for over a minute. During which time, Rolan and Ichigo both watched, one amused and the other with a critical eye._

_ "Eclaire is quite good for her age." Ichigo commented._

_ "That she is. I really am quite proud of her and I'm even happier that some her age is able to match her. I wouldn't mind at all if he became her groom one day." Rolan replied._

_ "Really? Well, I think a girl like her would be a good match for him, to keep him grounded. However, I think our little princess has her eye on him and he's not too averse to the notion, himself." Ichigo replied with a chuckle._

_ "I see...She has her work cut out for her." Rolan returned with a laugh. Rico watched the two banter on, like two big brothers trying to arrange something between their younger siblings. Suddenly, the two clashed with powerful slashes, shattering their blades. Eclaire backed off, getting a sudden chill._

_ "Why do I feel a chill just now?" She muttered as she clenched herself. Shinku, being himself, misunderstood and thought the wrong thing, even if he had good intentions. He walked over to her and felt her forehead._

_ "Really? I didn't feel anything. Do you have a cold? You probably sleep with your tummy exposed, don't you." He replied, not really noticing the growing blush on her face, nor her mounting rage. _

_ "Uh oh...I think he'd better stop now." Ichigo warned, but it was too late. With a warcry, she slugged him in the stomach with all her might, dropping him and making him curl into a ball._

_ "Ooh...I bet that hurt." Ichigo winced._

_ "My tummy hurts..." He whined as he lay there, Eclaire standing over him._

_ "STUPID, IDIOTIC HERO!" Eclaire bellowed, as others winced in sympathy with the younger hero._

_ "Geez...When is he going to learn?" Ichigo muttered as Eclaire began her little tap dance on his younger counterpart._

_ "Stupid jerk! Never, NEVER touch a knight's forehead! Show more tact like that other guy!" She yelled at Shinku as the others watched on._

_ "They seem to get along quite well." Rolan commented, getting an eyeroll from the ninja to his right._

_ "Somehow...I don't really see that." Ichigo deadpanned as Rico agreed._

_ "Yeah..." She sighed as Eclaire finished up her little dance recital on Shinku's face. _

_**END...**_

Today, Shinku decided to go and pay Brioche's place a little visit. It had been a rough couple of weeks. He remembered when he tried to check in with Becky and his family, when he discovered an odd paradox in the way time flowed between the two worlds. It seemed as though while he was here in Biscotti, time passed very slowly in his home world. After the first week, he called Becky and discovered that while a week had passed for him, only a day had elapsed back home. This made Rico happy, since it gave her around 4 months to find a way to send him home. The princess was very happy too, since she wouldn't have to say goodbye so soon.

A peculiar thing happened on the way out of the castles gates, though. As he left the castle, a delegation of people on mounts were guarding a carriage that he assumed held a dignitary.

"Huh...They kinda looked like Samurai in those old movies dad likes." He muttered as he rode on.

While Ichigo remained behind to further explain the training regimen, Tatsumaki and Homura lead the way for him. Her small estate rested outside of the city limits to the south, in the middle of the forest. Shinku felt a semblance of relief...Like a piece of home had followed him here. He saw a couple of workers tending the place, one sweeping the walk and another tending to the laundry. He saw Yukikaze lifting a basket of vegitables and called out to her.

"Oi! Yuki!" He greeted.

"Ah...Hero Shinku! Good morning!" The chipper Fox-girl replied.

"What brings you here today?" She asked.

"Oh! I just felt like dropping by and saying hello!" He answered her. She responded by taking him to where Brioche usually was when they were here, fishing at the stream behind the estate. Sure enough, there she was, dressed in a casual house yukata, feet dangling over a rocky outcropping, casting her line. Shinku picked up an extra fishing pole as they called out to her.

"My Lady! We have company!" Yuki announced as Shinku stepped forward.

"Oh? Shinku-dono, nice to see you." Brioche greeted as he returned the greeting. She looked behind him discreetly, but was slightly disappointed that his older counterpart was absent. She pushed it aside fpr now as they cast they lines.

"Wha? Whoa! It's huge!" He exclaimed as he struggled with it. It was a tug of war for a moment, but he finally gave one mighty heave and pulled out a fish at least as long as a full grown man, which landed right next to the firepit where Yuki was cooking some of the veggies she hauled there.

"Yuki? Could you fry that one up, as well?" Brioche asked.

"All right!" Yuki spritely replied. A half hour later, they had themselves a nice spread as they discussed things.

"So...How are you enjoying your time here, Shinku-dono?" Brioche inquired.

"I really like it here. It's really fun and the battles are fun too, but I'd like to be able to go home." He answered honestly. Brioche couldn't fault him for that. He was young and ripped away from his family. She knew the feeling too well.

"When will you go home?" Yuki asked as she handed him a rice ball, but Brioche just remember something about the summoning.

"Once a Hero is summoned, they cannot return to their world. Sadly, this is the way the summoning works." She answered.

"Gah! I just remembered! Ricotta's still working on a way to get me home!" He lamented comically until Brioche brought him back.

"Do you have...Family in your homeland?" She asked of him.

"Yeah! My mom and dad, my cousin Nanami, other friends and relatives..." He gushed until he stopped suddenly.

"Huh...I wonder how Becky's doing?" He wondered.

"Who is that?" Yuki asked.

"She's a childhood friend of mine. Her parents and mine are such good friends, that they're almost part of the family." Shinku explained.

"Sounds nice." Yuki complimented while Brioche was lost in thought on the subject of her family, having lost her parents years ago and not knowing how her grandfather is doing. She snapped out of it when she wondered how his elder counterpart was doing and what he was up to.

"Sempai? He's still with Rolan and Emilio, trying to iron out a training schedule for the knights." Shinku replied.

"Really? That sounds interesting. Do you not mention that he was already training you? Is that not what that headband means?" Brioche inquired.

"Yeah...He already started last week..." He replied as he explained how it went.

_**FLASHBACK...ONE WEEK AGO...**_

_ "Shinku...In order to unlock your chakra pathways, I need to use a certain seal, which took me all day yesterday to make. I'll apply it later, but for now, we will see how good you are unarmed, since you have a very good grasp on Bojutsu." Ichigo instructed._

_"Unarmed? Martial Arts?" He asked._

_"Yes. Taijutsu, the physical fighting arts, will always be the dependable fallback of any good ninja if Ninjutsu and Genjutsu is either unavailiable, not plausible, or not an option. It requires very little to no chakra to fight if conditioned properly." The elder blond replied._

_"Why can't the others use chakra?" He asked._

_"It's because of our different physicalities. The people here have been using their spiritual power for so long, that chakra cannot be properly balanced within them. You see, Chakra is a balance of physical power, Ki, and spiritual power, Chi. The two mix together to create chakra, the core of a ninja's abilities. I can sense a very high amount of chakra for your age, around Low Chuunin. This will take some practice to use properly, but that is what these training exercises are for. Anyway, I assume that you have some martial arts training?" He asked._

_"Yeah! I took some Karate and I'm at Dan level!" Shinku replied eagerly._

_"Dan-level at your age? Hmm...Not bad, but I'll need to see about that. En garde!" He roared as he launched himself at his young kouhai. Shinku barely managed to evade the first blow before the second one came screaming at him, driving the air from his gut. He backed off to let his apprentice catch his breath and evaluate his own defenses. Shinku rubbed his abused stomach as he thought of what just happened._

_'What the hell...He's too fast!' Shinku thought, beginning to panic. However, he remembered what Eclaire told him about using his energy to reinforce himself. _

_Taking a deep breath, he concentraited his energy into his legs and hurled himself at his sempai with blinding speed. However, the man wasn't a veteran Jounin and fighter for no reason, having evaded the blow and chambered one of his own at the same time. The two began to trade shots back and forth as he tested his student out and mapped out his defenses. Once he was certain he had an accurate assessment of his abilities, he picked him apart until he ended it with a standard arm bar. He stood up, dusted himself off and lifted his young counterpart and fellow Hero off of the ground._

_"Not bad for a boy your age. I'd say that without your reinforcement, you are at the same level as a fresh Genin, which is very good considering you have no shinobi training and your skill with Taijutsu is around the same." Ichigo appriased. Shinku sulked slightly, hoping that he'd done better._

_"Don't give me that look. You did very well for a boy your age and you will only get better from here on out. Remember, you will be training with me from now on, so I won't give you a choice but to improve. I will tell you now that this training will be very tough and harsh at times." He added. Shinku rasied his head, giving his new sempai a determined gaze._

_"I'll do it, sempai." Shinku said, his voice steeled._

_"Are you sure? Why would you put yourself through such torture? For glory? For power?" He inquired. He wanted to be sure of his reasons. He would NOT have another Sasuke arise._

_Shinku went through various reasons for undergoing the training. In the beginning, his reasons were childish, wanting to look cool but the way he posed the question and what happened to his mentor made him consider this very carefully. His mentor was ready and willing to lay down his life when he came to their defense without a second thought nor any hesitation. The way he talked about his family, they were examples of valor and unwavering courage. They were very powerful, but used that power to protect their loved ones and not for personal gain or satisfaction. His thoughts were drawn to his own family...His mother and father, his cousin Nanami, Becky's parents who were like an aunt and uncle to him, his friends at school and here. But then his thoughts went into a different direction...To Becky herself, whom he knew was important to him but wasn't sure in what way. To Eclaire, and then to Millhi and the moment they shared. Those three girls, he knew were very important to him and then...He found his motivation. It burned in his eyes, clear as day._

_"I don't really know yet. But I do know that I want to protect everyone precious to me. Becky...Eclaire...Millhi-chan...I'll do anything to protect them." Shinku replied, his voice lined with steel._

_"Are you sure? How do I know that you won't betray my teachings?" Ichigo asked again, his voice booming. He wanted to make sure his resolve was as strong as it seemed. Shinku didn't flinch at the tone. His eyes remained as firm as ever._

_"I can't make any guarantees or anything like that. All I can give is my word." He replied._

_'So much like Naruto's...He's just like you when it comes to this, little brother. I know he will continue the Will of Fire that the previous owner of this headband held within him.' Ichigo thought sadly. _

_"Very well. You are now my apprentice." He told the boy as he dug into his back pocket for something he had with him. It was a headband like his with a black cloth...Naruto's Hitae-ate._

_"As the last surviving ninja and Jounin Commander of Konoha, I give you this symbol...The symbol of a ninja of Konohagakure and the rank of Genin. May the Will of Fire burn strongly within you always." Ichigo told him solemnly, tying the headband around Shinku's head. _

_Shinku was shocked and stunned. He was now counted as a ninja like his sempai. He had to hold in a few tears of pride as the headband was being tied to his forehead. As he was finished, he sprinted over to the nearby spring to see his reflection, his new headband gleaming back at him proudly in the sunlight. He looked back at the older ninja in disbelief, who nodded in return._

_"Okay...Now we have that out of the way..." He said as he got down to applying the seals neccessary to release his chakra. The process would have to carry on overnight, so he sent him back to the castle for the day._

_**END...**_

It was indeed a very serious and solemn moment. Ichigo's people were long gone, himself being the only survivor to pass on the ways of his people and he had accepted Shinku as his apprentice. Brioche could tell that it must have been a very hard thing for him to do, giving the headband that once belonged to his brother to Shinku. Yuki knew what it really meant...That Shinku was now a recognised ninja in the eyes of a master, even if he is at the lowest rank of ninja, Genin. Even she had to start somewhere and she is now the Kage, leader of the Ninja Corps. However, Shinku could now use his chakra alongside the spiritual power of this world. He had just mastered the leaf sticking exercise and was now moving on to the Kunai Spinning exercise.

The group continued their luncheon until Shinku had to go get ready for his little dinner with the princess while they cleaned up their impromptu picnic. Shinku mounted his Cellkull and dashed off toward the castle, leaving Brioche and Yuki to think to themselves about what they had heard. Yuki knew that Shinku's teacher was easily at Kage level, possibly beyond that, an extremely powerful ninja. Within the Biscotti Ninja Corps, Yuki was one of the only 6 Jounin level ninja with a scattering of Mid level Chuunin and the rest were Genin. The chances of taking on Izumo if they decided to come knocking were harrowing at best.

The Biscotti Ninja Corps was made up of three small ninja clans that had immigrated from Izumo early on and established themselves here along with several idividual ninja, like a small ninja village, with Yukikaze as the undisputed leader. The clans were the Tenshin, the Hayabusa, and the Oboro, along with a scattering of other ninja. The other Jounin were Hayate Tenshin, Ryu Hayabusa, Hotsuma of the Oboro, and two independant ninja named Kaede Nagase and Kotaro Inugami. As strong as they all were, Izumo would overwhelm them with sheer numbers. This would be due to their overall number being less than 100 ninja. The ninja of Izumo numbered close to 500, but only a very small number of them being Jounin level, thankfully.

Brioche was thinking about how she would approach Ichigo next. She had some down time inbetween their duties, she she was thinking about having another spar with him. Just then, Emilio, a Knight Lieutenant from the palace came riding up to their gates with a message.

"Lady Brioche! Lady Yukikaze! Are you here?" The rider asked. Another ninja answered him.

"Oi...Not so loud, Emilio...I was sleeping up here." A voice called out from the tree next to the rider. Out of it popped a rather tall young woman with long brown hair that was pulled back into a very skinny rat tail.

"Miss Kaede! I have urgent news for Ladies Brioche and Yukikaze! Do you know where they are?" Emilio asked.

"Ah...I believe they were talking with Shinku-dono near the river bank a few minutes ago." Kaede replied, rubbing her chin. As the messenger was about to tear off, the two in question rolled up.

"Ah! Milady! I have urgent news from the Princess!" He called out as he explained what went on...

_**AN HOUR AGO WITHIN THE CASTLE MEETING HALL...**_

_The procession came to a halt just outside of the gates at the beckoning of the guards._

_ "Halt! Please identify yourselves!" A guard ordered._

_ "We are a delegation from the Daimyo of Izumo_. _I am Chancellor Wagaya and I wish to speak with King Basillio Filliano Biscotti." The official requested. The gurads looked at each other then at the official like he was crazy._

_ "M'Lord...The Good King has been dead for three years time. His daughter, Princess Millhiore, rules in his place." The senior guard informed them._

_ "Hmm...Then I should like to speak with her with all possible swiftness." The Chancellor almost demanded. The guards let them in and Emilio guided them to the meeting room where Rolan and Ichigo were discussing things but remained for her protection. Amelita and the Elderssaw who it was and became worried._

_ "Princess...We hadn't heard that your father had passed on. Our condolences." The Chancellor addressed her stiffly, almost as if he was looking down on her._

_ Her father was a very tall and broad shouldered man who had a commanding presence whenever he walked into a room. He had been replaced by a waif-like little girl who was only in her early teens, one who he thought could be easily intimidated. He was hit with the notion that he could bully her into anything they wanted if he played his hand right._

_ "Councellor...What is it that you require of us, the people of Biscotti?" The princess asked._

_ "Our glorious Daimyo wishes to retrieve a certain person from your country. This person has personally insulted the honor of our Daimyo and he wishes to gain reparation in return for his tarnished name." The Chancellor declared._

_ "That is quite a severe thing that you claim, Chancellor. What proof do you have to support it?" Rolan asked._

_ "I agree with him. Accusations without suitable proof makes one look like a fool." Ichigo added in support._

_ "Silence, you common dogs!" The Councellor snapped, but the Princess stood up for them._

_ "Sir Rolan and Sir Ichigo are two of my most trusted and experienced knights and commanders. I always listen to their valuable advice and their opinions will be respected in my court." The Princess asserted herself with regal authority, impressing her court. Wagaya, surprized by her show of fortitude, changed his tactics._

_ "You say that I have no proof? I have a marriage record with me that states that one Brioche D'Arquien is the legal wife of our Daimyo and he has been searching for her of a long time, now. She won a sanctioned duel dishonorably and fled our lands to your Kingdom, where we believe that she has been given some sort of military rank in your army, as ludicrious as it sounds...Giving a woman military rank." Wagaya huffed._

_ "What is it that you really want from us?" Amelita questioned, getting highly annoyed at his comment and attitude._

_ "Simply put, we want her back so that she can be at our Daimyo's side once again, where she belongs." He told them._

_ "And what if we refuse?" Millhi retorted, not willing to back down easily. She didn't like how he barged in and started to demand things from her people and insulted two of her most trusted knights. Insulting her gender didn't help, either._

_ "I would hate to see this lovely Kingdom that your father helped maintain to fall. I assure you that my Lord Daimyo would love to have a valid reason to lay claim to these fetile lands. On top of that, her Grandfather and the former Daimyo could be thrown into prison for aiding a criminal." He sneered._

_ That one statment had all of the Biscotti personnel worried. Ichigo had already seen one home fall and knew that he would fight a one man war on his own to protect his new one if he had to. Ichigo tensed as his left hand snaked to his Chakra Fang, but Rolan noticed and stopped him._

_ "Chancellor...Do you realise that your threats are on the brink of violating the Intercontinental treaty?" One of the elders questioned._

_ "I stand by my statements. Bring her to Izumo at once if you wish to stave off unnesscessary bloodshed." The Chancellor demanded as he and his two guards swept from the room. After they were gone, Millhiore slumped into her chair. _

_ "Princess...What will you do?" Ichigo asked, concerned about how she would handle this. This was her first true crisis as regent, so this was a make or break situation._

_ "...Emilio. Please fetch Brioche and have her come here immeadiately." Millhi ordered, although her voice was weak. The young lieutenant set out immeadiately to perform his task._

_**END...**_

"..." Brioche was at a loss for words.

The life she thought she left behind her had now caught up to her. Her prideful ex-husband hadn't given up his search and was now threatening her homeland over his wounded pride. Yukikaze was growing concerned over the severe look on her Lady's face.

"My Lady? What's wrong? Is it _him_ again?" Yuki asked. She had seen the boorish lout her husband had been and just thinking about him made her hackles rise.

Tojoiin Ukyo was not a very popular ruler, unlike his father before him, Lord Souzen. His father was a fair and good man and so was his elder brother, Sakyo. It burned Ukyo that his elder brother was to become the Daimyo over him, but his chance came when his brother died in the Arley Desert, along with the Biscotti Ambassador, both killed in combat. His brother had a son, but he was only a small child of 5 years old and not yet old enough to rule, so Ukyo was made regent and would have done away with the child if his own father hadn't taken in and protected the boy and his now widowed daughter-in-law. As things were now, he was only 2 years away from being able to assume the throne. For the mean time, now that he was in charge, he focused on those that displeased him, such as outsiders. He looked down on outsiders and half bloods with disdain and was delighted to have the daughter of the _upstart_ foreginer distraught. He had run into her one day while she was training and challenged her to a match, thinking that he would win easily. But he was quickly beaten, humiliated in front of his peers. He _requested_ her hand in marriage from her grandfather, but the court knew that Ukyo forced him into it and his father was none the wiser.

"Yes...I will return shortly." Brioche growled as she mounted Murakumo and rode for the palace at a break neck pace.

_'Ukyo...You bastard...If you harmed my grandfather or Lord Souzen...May the Gods have pity on for I certainly will not.'_ She thought as she continued on.

_**FILLIANO CASTLE**_

Brioche flew past the gate guards in a hurry. The guards didn't dare challenge her, as the look on her face promised intense pain if trifled with, so she passed through the castle completely unbothered by anyone. She quickly lept down from Murakumo and stormed into the Audience Hall, where the Princess and the others were waiting.

"Where is he?" She asked simply, her voice trying to remain calm, but the violent shaking in her hands betrayed her thoughts.

"Gone...They returned to Izumo and await our response." Millhiore replied, her bangs shadowing her eyes.

"Princess...I am truly sorry that my past has brought danger to our kingdom." Brioche apologized to her Princess, but she was waved off.

"I know why my father hid you away from them and I will honor his decision. I know that he had his reasons for doing so, but we will need to take care when we send you to Izumo to straighten this out. I will send Sir Ichigo with you, along with Yukikaze for backup in case things get...hectic. I have every confidence that you will be fine." Millhi confided.

"When will we leave?" Ichigo asked.

"As soon as possible. Your Raiden should be waiting for you in the stables, along with Yuki's Shirahime." Amelita informed them, cutting them some travelling funds from the treasury as well.

"I know that Shinku would like to go, but he should stay here. Where we're going holds real danger...and I don't want to put him through that if I don't have to. Besides...One of us should remain here." Ichigo said as he left to get his gear together.

Brioche was happy to be travelling with two people she trusted completely...along with the man she was highly interested in. She knew that with her own abilities, combined with Yuki's and Ichigo's, they could handle anything that was thrown at them. She then left the room to ready her gear and meet with her team.

As they marched out of the hallway, Shinku came into the room.

"What just happened?" He asked. Millhiore told him what had happened and he immeadiately wanted to go with them, but he was refused.

"No...Ichigo requested that you remain here." Rolan told him.

"Does sempai think I can't fight?" Shinku questioned.

"It's not that. He knows that there will be real and possibly extreme danger where he and his team are going. He also trusts you to stay here to help protect the kingdom and to protect me in his place." Millhiore soothed him, a measure of calm returning to her. With her returning calm, she remembered the dinner date that she and Shinku were supposed to share. She threw herself into her duties so that she would finish in time.

_'I have faith that they will be successful. I know my father would not have let himself be pushed around and I refuse to have it happen to me. I need to be strong for my people.'_ The young princess thought as she went about her duties.

As Shinku left to exercise a little more before getting ready, he was thinking to himself some about what the Princess told him.

_'Sempai...Trusts me to protect her? I won't let him down!'_ Shinku thought as he returned to his training with renewed vigor.

Rolan sighed hard, Amelita knowing what was on his mind.

"We always knew that Lord Ukyo would cause us problems one day." Amelita commented.

"I know. I know why His Majesty took her in and hid her and I fully agree with his decision. The Princess will need our support now more than ever." Rolan replied. He was finally speaking with Amelita off-handedly, but...

_'NOW what do I do? I want to talk to her a little more...Not about business, but about interests, maybe?'_ He thought, thinking back to when Ichigo took him aside before the Kidnapping Incident. He was told to take the iniative once and a while, that he'd never know until he tried. So...He went for it.

"So...Um...Have you...Read anything interesting lately?" He sputtered out.

Amelita was at first confused by his sudden change in demeanor when confronting it with logic like she usually does, but she noticed the deep blush on his face.

_'Is he...Blushing? Does he find me attractive? I always thought that my position drove most men away or they thought I was boring and strict...I actually find it rather adoreable that the Captain of the Royal Knights is blushing like a little boy...'_ She giggled inwardly as composed herself.

"No, not lately, Sir Rolan. Why do you ask?" She asked him, trying to get him to extend the conversation.

"I...Well...Just wanted to...Talk with you." He replied lamely, finding a stone in the floor very interesting all of the sudden.

"Well, we _could_ have a chat over a cup of tea..." She suggested, to which he accepted readily. The elders watched the two young ones walk out together with matching grins.

"Well...It's about time Rolan put a move on her. I thought I'd never live to see it for myself." One commented.

"I know...Those two have known each other since they were toddlers and he has always been sweet on her. It does this old man's heart good to see the young happy like this." Another chortled.

"Speaking of which...I have noticed our young princess sending special looks at our younger hero when she thinks we are not looking." The third chuckled. The Elder Trio simply walked out of the meeting hall to further discuss the subject of the target of their princess's affections amongst other things.

_**ENROUTE TO IZUMO**_

The trio thundered south to the City-State of Izumo, approaching the Dauphiné Mountain Range at the southern most tip of the Biscotti Nation after hours of non-stop riding. The sun was beginning to set and their mounts were starting to tire, so they agreed to stop at a town at the base of the mountain for the night to rest before they took on the montain range. The inn they stayed in had an open air mixed bath, so it was time to socialize. Yuki had gone in earlier and opted to go to sleep since long range riding didn't really agree with her. This left only Brioche and Ichigo in the bath.

"Hahh...You can't beat an open air bath..." Ichigo sighed, placing a towel soaked with warm water on his forehead.

"I quite agree...The bath at the compound is nice, but this one has a charm of it's own." Brioche agreed, stretching out to relax but eccentuaing her considerable bust even more. A companionable silence fell over the pair, but any on looker could tell that they had heads full of questions to ask one another. Ichigo remembered what a mercenary named Price he'd met and worked with long ago told him and it inspired him to take a chance : _Who dares, wins._

"So...What happened to cause all of this?" Ichigo asked. Brioche sighed, knowing she'd have to tell him someday if she wanted to start a life with him. She bit the bullet and began to weave her tale.

"I wasn't born in Biscotti, but in Izumo. My father was the Count Gaston D'Arquien, an ambassador to Izumo and a friend of the former Daimyo, Lord Souzen. A year after he was stationed there, he met my mother, Sakura Ichinose, the daughter of a local magistrate and fell madly in love with her. He courted her, and with her father's blessing, they married. I came along before long, and we shared a very happy life there together. My father was eager to teach me to wield a blade, teaching me personally and Souzen-sama even asked Jubei, his closest retainer and bodyguard, to help train me. Jubei-sensei was a very good friend of Lord Souzen's father and a good man. He was skeptical at first, since all of the swordmen were just that, men. But after he looked me over just once, he keeled over laughing. After he stopped, he said he'd be honored to help, so my training began at the age of 7."

"Wow...That's kinda cool, getting trained by an elite master samurai. He sounds like an interesting person, the kind of guy I'd like to meet." Ichigo mused as she paused in her story.

"That might not be too hard if he's still alive. He was old when I was a little girl, but I hope to see him again. He became like a second grandfather to me, as Souzen-sama was like an uncle. His eldest son, Sakyo and his wife Eimi treated me like their little sister and he often sparred with me, pointing out flaws in my stances and helping me improve. He was much older than me, as he was already married and had a child."

"The former Daimyo? So he's not the guy causing all the trouble?"

"No...They were all like family to me and cared for me. The one who caused all of this was the younger son, Ukyo. He was always very vain and arrogant, flaunting his position and bragging that he would be the Daimyo over his brother. He was also very bigoted against foreginers and half-bloods...Like my father and myself. On top of that, he saw my choice of profession as a direct insult and challenged me. I defeated him in front of the entire royal court with only one move, but I hadn't heard the last of him. A year later, my father and Sakyo both died in the deserts of Arley, fighting against the Saurian warrior tribes who repeatedly raided border villages. They died because there are areas that are not protected by the gods and the desert and the surrounding area are some of them. I really loved my father...His death still haunts me at times." Brioche told him, tearing up at the mention of her father.

"Sorry about that...But at least your parents loved you. I never knew my real parents, but Kushina filled the gap. I loved her as much as she gave birth to me herself and she returned it. I miss her so much, it hurts..." He said, sharing her pain.

_'We really are alike...'_ She thought as she continued.

"After my father died, my mother fell ill and died shortly afterward. I went into the care of my grandfather and we lived happily, but it was short lived. Ukyo had become the regent due to the death of his brother and was now looking for a bride. I still think he deliberately picked me and forced my grandfather into it. I did not want my grandfather to suffer to protect me, so I agreed to the wedding. When I turned 17, we were married. For the first couple of months, I rarely saw him. But after that, I found that he had been sleeping around while slandering my family name. After a full year had passed, I finally had enough."

"Damn...That guy sounds like a real jerk. I hope you kicked his ass."

"I know. I am just thankful there were no children born of that failed union. He was a truly disgusting person and a complete weakling on his own. I challenged him to a duel so I could back out of the marriage with my honor intact, but he contracted a ronin samurai to fight for him, a shameful and cowardly act. I was forced to fight him anyway, but I made sure to utterly crush him, ont holding anything back. After my victory, he claimed that I cheated in a sanctioned duel, but it was contested by his own father and my grandfather, along with his retainers. I was released from the marriage, but I was cast out. Soon afterwards, I stumbled upon Yukikaze, who had been alone for many years. I befriended her and she chose to follow me willing, as she had been alone for many years. After two years of wandering, I came back to Biscotti at the behest of King Basillio, the father of Princess Millhiore. He offered to me my father's rank and position within the royal court and in the Army, so I accepted his kindness and gave myself into service to Biscotti, Yuki doing the same out of gratitude and she became head of the Ninja Corps. A year later, Ukyo became the Regent and began to search for me. King Basillio hid me from him and I remained hidden from him...until now. I do not want my father's homeland to fall under attack because of me, so I am willing to settle this once and for all." Brioche wound down her tale.

"You won't be going it alone. You've got Yuki and myself going with you as back up this time and we won't let them do anything...I won't let them..." He told her, sub-consciously whispering the last part.

Brioche overheard that part and questioned it in her mind.

_'Did he just say that? Does he like me, too?'_ She thought hopefully as she tried to extend the conversation.

"Since...I told you my story, maybe you could tell me yours?" She asked, hopeful that he would open up as she had done. They had gotten out of the bath and went to a local tavern to continue over a pint of ale and some dinner.

Ichigo sighed as he tried to find a place to start. She had told him about her past , warts and all, so it would only be fair to do the same. Everyone he cared about back where he came from was dead and things that were secret didn't really matter anymore. The Bijuu had all been sent away to Hell, the Akatsuki were all dead, and the ninja world had been completely destroyed by the Akatsuki's mad scheme. He figured that the best place to start was at the very beginning.

"I don't know anything about my life before the age of 11, but I know that I was once part of a secret experiment to create the ultimate soldiers. We were broken down and rebuilt almost from scratch to be the ultimate humans, perfect killing machines. An old ninja named Hanzou was coerced into training us in his style of combat and in the use of his unique energy source, chakra. Out of all of them, he discovered that I was the only one that could use it. He felt that he needed an heir to his techniques and teachings and he no longer wanted any part of these insane experiments, so he stole me from the labs and awakened me from the brainwashing they had my kind under to control us."

"That sounds horrible...What kind of people would do such a deplorable thing?"

"It gets worse, trust me. Anyway, for the next 5 years, Hanzou trained me to the best of his ability and as much was his aging body would allow. He even put me in normal schools to get an education and to teach me the things that he couldn't. But, I looked different from everyone else due to my hair, height, and my eyes. I was discriminated against and labeled an outcast, but one girl didn't mind. I remember when I first met her, I didn't know she was blind, but we kept right on talking until the sun had gone down and I offered to walk her home. She wound up telling me, but I told her that it didn't change anything between us, that she was still the only friend I had. However, since she started to hang around me, it made her a target for thugs who wanted to goad me into a fight, so I shadowed her to protect her."

"That was a very sweet and chivalrous thing you did. She was a lucky girl...Having you as her very own guradian angel." Brioche commented as she scooted her barstool closer to him, making him color slightly before he continued.

"Usually, I didn't even have to fight to drive them away. I usually used my Henge to look like a law officer or a teacher and that sent them running. But one time...It wasn't enough. One day, I had been following them in a special mask and outfit Hanzou made for me so I wouldn't be identified and they had gotten very brazen, kidnapping a few girls, Hitomi included, for some..._Entertainment_. They had ties to a crime syndicate and wanted to impress them enough to make them into made men for the mafia by bringing them fresh girls for the brothels. One of them tried to strip Hitomi, but she fought back. The thugs hit her and she fell backwards into a table, hitting the back of her head and drawing blood. From there...I lost control. I lept down into the warehouse and killed all of them, but I took a gunshot wound to my side. That was enough to attract the attention of the police, so I picked her up gently and took off to the rooftops to avoid being followed. She woke up when I was in mid leap and spotted that I was bleed badly, but the blow to her head had brought her sight back. We made it to the apartment that Hanzou and I shared, where I finally collapsed from blood loss. I had healed, but Hitomi was bound at determined to stay by my side. Since she was one of the very rare people from my original world who could use chakra, we gave her ninja training. A few months later, we were training on a lake behind her apartment complex. She stumbled into my arms and we...Kissed. I knew then and there, that I loved her more than anything and she told me the same."

Brioche had to wipe a tear from her eye. It was as beautiful a tale as it was sad. But she dreaded that the worst was yet to come.

"A few months after we had officially gotten together, there was a formal ball with a party and dancing at the school, so of course we attended. Even old Hanzou had attended, since he was asked by the school to be a chaperone for the event. I had almost completely forgotten about where I came from and looked forward to a future together with Hitomi...When _they_ crashed the formal. The conglomerate called the UAC, which had created me, had tracked us down and called us out. If we didn't show ourselves, they would start killing everyone there until we did. At first, all three of us fought and took down their agents and soldiers but they got desperate. They called in the rest of the super soldiers like myself, so I had Hitomi take cover while sensei and I fought them. I was about to get impaled by one of them...But Hitomi saved me, at the cost of her own life. She had only enough time to tell me that she would always love me before she died, but when she did, it was like a piece of myself died with her. In the aftermath of the battle, Hanzou had died as well from heart failure. Before he died, he gave me one of the two blades I carry with me at all times, the Chakra Fang, given to him by a Konoha ANBU long before I was born. From there, I covered Hitomi's body as carefully as I could and disappeared."

Now Brioche was on the verge of crying. He had indeed suffered greatly, but he still carried on.

"I'm sorry...So sorry if this made you relive any painful memories..." She tried to apologize into his shoulder, but he waved her off.

"It's fine...I'm not even completely done yet. After she died, I simply didn't care anymore. I took up the life of a mercenary and wandered the world for a good deal of time until I took a particular mission that had me exterminating creatures in an old castle. As I eliminated the monsters on the lowest levels of the catacombs, I found the sword that I still favor to this day." He told her, telling her about how he met Sakuhime and of how she willingly bound herself to him.

"She must have been very special to you...I wish I could have met her..." Brioche sighed as she leaned into his arm. He noticed, and hesitantly put his arm around her shoulder. She responded by nuzzling in deeper as he continued.

"After that, I wanted to end the UAC's experiments once and for all, so I headed to a research facility they had on another world. Once there, something went horribly wrong with one of their time/space experiments. Almost all of the researchers and security personnel had been turned into zombies of some kind, with other twisted beings from a place that can only be called Hell appearing. I found that the director of the experiments had brought them to our world in a fit of madness, trying to use them to destroy everything. With the help of Sakuhime, my sword and a handful of survivors, we managed to push them back and close the Hell Gate, but I was sucked inside. That was what brought me to the world I came here from and where that story began." Ichigo said, finishing his story since she knew the rest.

"At least...You have a place here, among us. The princess has fully accepted you and I believe that she is beginning to look up to you along with Shinku-dono and Eclaire-dono. The ninja have warmed up to you and Yukikaze is excited to have someone that she can go all out against without worrying about hurting them. And I...Have someone to relate to. When I'm around you, I feel like I am at ease." She confided in him, further leaning onto his shoulder. Brioche was happy that he felt comfortable enough to open up to her as they paid their tabs and returned to the Inn to get some sleep.

Ichigo was glad that they were developing a bond with one another, that they accepted each other's pain and pasts. He knew that Rin, Hitomi, and Airi wouldn't want him to become all angsty and broody, so Brioche's affections would be good for him and allow him to heal, as it has done for the past few weeks. Upon returning to the Inn, Brioche slept next to Yuki, who rolled over and displayed a knowing smirk.

"I guess your first official date went well, my Lady." Yuki commented.

"You guessed right, Yuki. He...Opened up to me and I to him. I hope that this mission to Izumo goes well." Brioche hoped as she succumbed to slumber.

"As do I, My Lady...As do I." Yuki replied as she fell asleep herself.

_**CASTLE FILIANNO**_

It was night time at the castle and things were winding down for the night, except for a small group of people that had gathered on a terrace overlooking the city below. It was set up for a formal dinner for two people and had two men-at-arms guarding the affair. The reason for all this was because the Princess was to have her promised dinner date with the younger hero and have a better opportunity to talk to him, get to know him a little better. She had other reasons for doing this, having a small crush on Shinku that was blossoming being the biggest one of those and the fact that she had never felt like this before.

"Princess? You up here?" Shinku called out from the archway he came from, fully dressed up in a suit to match the occasion.

"Please! Come and sit with me!" She replied enthusiastically. He complied as sat down at the prepared table, his fatigue obvious and making her concerned.

"Shinku? What's wrong?" She asked him, causing him to tell her of just HOW he got ready.

As it turned out, Rizel had taken it upon herself to clean him up from top to bottom, being embarrassingly thorough in her pursuit of cleanliness to the point of having the other maids strip him down, throwing him head long into the bath, and proceeding to scrub him down from head to toe. Normally, this would be quite a pleasurable experience with the maid staff being made up of girls who were pretty cute, but Shinku being only a boy and the rest of the maids ranging from 16 to 20, he was mortified beyond all belief and turning every color of the rainbow in embarrassment, mainly from them even scrubbing down his naughty bits and dressing him as if he were a toddler.

"Oh my...Rizel certainly takes her work seriously." Millhi giggled as they began to dine under the stars. Soon into the meal, Millhi brought up another topic.

"I have heard about Brioche and Ichigo, how they seem to get along with each other quite well." She commented.

"Yeah...She really likes him...What do you think about that?" He asked.

"Honestly? I think it's wonderful! She would be good for him and he for her. She has had many men attempt to court her, but none have ever measured up to her expectations until he appeared." Millhi answered.

"But...That official guy said that she was the wife of the Daimyo in Izumo. What happened there?" Shinku asked.

Millhi didn't really know how to answer that. Brioche was a fairly private person, but she never intended for her past to come chasing after her like this. Shinku deserved to know what he was about to get involved in, Brioche would want it that way.

"Well, I don't know much about her life before she came here, but I do know that her father was a very good friend of my father's, Count Gaston d'Arquien, who married a woman from Izumo and started a family with her. The count and his wife died, leaving Brioche with her Grandfather. He tried to care for her, but the youngest son of the Daimyo fancied her. All I know of that situation, was that she was forced into marriage to spare her Grandfather and was treated horribly. She finally had enough and defeated her husband in a duel of honour, but he disregarded the rules and pursued her relentlessly. My father managed to hide her for sometime and protected her by offering her father's title and military rank to her, which she accepted. That brings us here and now." Millhi replied, telling him what she personally knew of her past.

Shinku had heard of things like forced marriages happening in history class and in those old Samurai movies his dad and cousin Nanami were nuts for, but this was real. He was glad that Brioche was ridiculously powerful, and she was able to fight her way out of the marriage but the guy was a sore loser.

"Man, her ex sounds like a real jerk." Shinku scowled.

"I agree. Lord Ukyo has been on the watch list for all of the kingdoms of the peace treaty since his coronation as a threat. He has shown signs of massive military build up and agression for the past seven years, but my father and Leo's father were the ones who kept him at bay, but...since their passing, I don't know if we can fight them off in a serious war. I don't know if I can send my soldiers and my people off to fight, knowing that they will die..." The young princess lamented.

Shinku saw that she was on the verge of crying, but floundered for what to do or say. Finally, a nudge in the right direction hit him.

_'What would sempai say or do in this situation? C'mon...Think!'_ He thought as he scrambled to think of how Ichigo would react.

"Well...I know that it'll probably be hard... to do that, but...You'll have me around to help! Oh...And sempai, too. I bet he'd take 'em on if you asked him to!" Shinku tried to cheer her up, awkwardly.

As awkward as it was, it seemed to be working since her crying had lessened. Giving her a vote of confidence seemed to boost her own. Seeing this, he decided to build on it some more.

"Y-you think so?" She sniffled.

"Yeah! Your people love you, all of the soldiers would do anything for you and everyone trusts you. I think you can do this!" He added. Millhi couldn't contain herself anymore as she launched herself into him and crying into his shoulder to let it all out. Again, he was wondering what his sempai would do, but the answer just came to him naturally. He returned the embrace as she seemed to calm down.

"T-thank you…Shinku…" She stammered out shyly, using his name for the first time. Suddenly, they noticed how close their faces were, both of them backing off quickly and blushing brightly.

"I-I hope you enjoyed dinner…Shinku." She told him softly as she retired to her chambers for the night, but not before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek, leaving a completely flabbergasted young man in her wake.

"What just happened?" He asked no one in particular, but one of the maids replied.

"I think she likes you. It was very sweet…What you told her. Did you mean it?" She asked him.

"Of course, I did! I wouldn't lie to her just to make her feel better! That would only hurt her in the long run!" He answered her, a little indignant.

"That's good then. We will count on you to help us protect our princess." Emilio, the Guard Lieutenant, commented as Shinku left back to his room for the night.

Back in the personal quarters of the princess, Millhi was getting her night dress on as she went over all that Shinku had told her to bolster her resolve. Then she went over the fact that her other hero and two of her most powerful soldiers were heading directly into the Lion's Den. She had no way of helping them once they were inside Izumo's territory. They would be completely on their own, since Biscotti could not risk war with Izumo in the event that all three were taken down. This was her first true crisis as a monarche and she knew that other nations would be watching how she handled this very closely. She wanted to be able to count on Leo's support, but wasn't sure how all of this would impact her nation. Shinku's words, though, did something to reassure her, allowing her to get to sleep that night.

_**A/N: Done with another chapter...Sorry about the slow speed of updates, but I've been busy. I assure you that I have not abandoned ANY fics. You have my word on that. Also, I..."Borrowed" the names and likenesses of a few notable ninja and kunoichi for this fic. Kudos to those who can guess where they are from!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_Here's the next chapter...Enjoy yourselves._

_**BISCOTTI BORDER TOWN OF BASTOGNE**_

Sunlight spilled into the windows of the quaint inn that housed the small Biscotti delegation to Izumo, but the group had already awakened and were currently preparing to leave as soon as they had some breakfast. Upon ordering, the trio set themselves to planning out their route through the mountains and into Izumo.

"First and foremost, we must pass through the Dauphine mountain range. During this time of year, the snow is light and the passes are relatively safe, but we must still be wary of highwaymen and monsters. I propose that we take the middle path as it poses the least threat even though it will take a little longer to traverse. We must save our strength for when we reach Izumo. I fear that Ukyo may send out some of his shinobi or mercenaries to harass us until we are in the city. Even then, we will not be safe." Brioche stated.

"The mercs could probably be passed off as common thugs and bandits, but one would think he would have a hard time explaining the shinobi." Ichigo commented.

"Yes, that is true. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to prove. He will, most likely claim that they went rouge and absolve any responsibility." Yuki replied.

"I'm liking this guy less and less every time he's brought up. I just want to get this over with cleanly, but if he starts a fight with us, what protocol should we follow?" Ichigo asked, knowing that Brioche is in charge of this mission.

"We must refrain from being the aggressor. It will take nothing to set him off." The swordswoman warned her companions as they set off into the mountain range on their mounts.

_**CITY-STATE OF IZUMO**_

The small team quickly made their way through the winding and sometimes snow covered passes that lined the mountain range, encountering minimal signs of monsters and the highwaymen, mercs, and shinobi that tried to do anything were taken out courtesy of a Kage Bunshin Advance Recon Team that Ichigo had sent to scout ahead. The shinobi noted that this area wasn't protected by that deity that protected other areas, these men seriously hurt. However, his experience with these types of people had hardened him to what they would have done if they had gotten the drop on them. Death would have been the easy way out for the women, something he knew as he finished them off, completely devoid of mercy. Just as the sun was beginning to set, they had approached the City-State of Izumo.

"Wait here. I'll got check us in with the guards." Brioche told her two companions as she did just that.

"You think this guy will give us any trouble?" Ichigo whispered to his kunoichi teammate.

"There is no way to be sure. We will have to play this by ear." Yuki replied.

"Great…" He sighed as Brioche came back.

"We have been logged as emissaries of Biscotti, so we will need to find an inn for the night." She instructed. She knew they were being watched and Yuki and Ichigo could feel their presence.

"How many do you count? I count 10." Ichigo asked in a hushed tone without breaking his stride to avoid raising suspicion.

"Same. Many of the signatures are somewhat small, but one is sizeable. They are on the rooftops on all sides." Yuki answered.

"Hostile intent?" Brioche asked.

"Not that I can tell. They seem to be content watching us. You can bet that Ukyo guy will know we're here within the hour. I'll post two Kage Bunshin under a Henge as sentries. As long as they aren't killed, I will recover the energy spent making them once I dismiss them." Ichigo replied.

"Good idea. They can act as an early warning system to alert us to any danger." Brioche said as they got a room for the night. The two clones transformed into a small animal outside and a potted plant in the hallway outside of the room, keeping a watchful eye out for any trouble.

_'I hope that dishonorable pig will be intimidated enough to not try anything...Otherwise, we will be in for the fight of our lives.'_ Brioche thought as they settled down for the night.

Three of the ten ninja who had followed them to the Inn had ventured inside to assess the situation. They also had another objective, to confirm that Brioche had indeed come back. Pochi, a Jounin and an elder ninja who had served the previous Daimyo, winced at what Ukyo would want them to do.

_'Lady Brioche...I am truly sorry about this, but I must serve the Daimyo if I am to continue protecting Lord Sakyo's son into adulthood so that he can claim the throne that is rightfully his.'_ The elder man thought sadly as he turned to the young kunoichi beside him.

"Kaori...Inform Lord Ukyo that she had arrived." He ordered. The girl looked green around the gills at the prospect of facing the current regent, but nonetheless obeyed her superior, leaping off to do so.

_**IZUMO CASTLE, DAIMYO'S CHAMBER**_

Ukyo Tojouin was busy entertaining himself with one of his consorts when a young member of his ninja corps entered the chamber, the young girl flushing at what was happening before her. The sleazy Daimyo noticed her after a few moments and threw his partner off roughly.

"Why have you disturbed me? It had better be good." He growled.

"Daimyo-sama…The person you have been waiting for has arrived in the city and is currently staying at an Inn near the center of the business district." The young kunoichi in training stated, the way he was staring at her unnerving her. A greasy smirk appeared on his face.

"So…That pompous fool Wagaya managed to goad her into returning." He snickered.

"Yes, my Lord. However, she is not alone." Kaori added.

"What? Who dares to interfere with my plans?" He roared.

"S-sir…They all bear the crest of the Biscotti Army, so we believe that they were sent along to escort her. One is a Kunoichi, but the other is strange. His ears are very different and he has no tail. However, from the looks of his weapon and the power signature he gives off he is a Knight, a very powerful one, all three of them are. They are easily on the same level as our most powerful ninja and samurai, if not a little beyond them." The girl informed her lord.

"Tch...I guess that Biscotti princess isn't taking any chances, sending some heavy hitters in an attempt to stave off a conflict. I want you to tell Hatsuragi to prepare a _welcome_ for them once they are inside the castle tomorrow afternoon and lift the Flonya protection around the city all at once. Also, tell that foreign sellsword Febre to ready himself. I will have use for him then. These Biscotti emissaries must not leave this city. The man can die, but the two women I want captured." Ukyo instructed before he dismissed her and went right back to what he was doing before.

_'Brioche...You will be mine once again. And this time, there will be no escaping me. Having the fertile lands of Biscotti will be an added bonus once we crush their Army.' _ He schemed.

_**BACK IN BISCOTTI THE NEXT DAY**_

Shinku woke up with the sun and stretched out before washing his face in his wash basin, trying to wake himself up further. Upon dressing himself and heading out of his room, he wandered toward his sempai's room to see if he was up already, but the room's resident wasn't there. Suddenly, he remembered where he went to.

_'Oh yeah...Sempai, Yuki, and Lady Brioche left for Izumo and couple of days ago. I hope they're okay...They have to be. They're three of the strongest people I've ever seen, so there can't be too many people that can beat them.'_ He reasoned as he went over the training regimine that Ichigo had left for him to complete in his absence. While he was doing that, he walked directly into Eclaire, who was still half asleep.

"Watch where you're going, doofus!" She growled as he helped her to her feet.

"Sorry about that. I was just hoping that sempai and the others are okay and I got a little distracted." He apologized to her. Her anger lessened as she seemed to understand.

"I-I see. In that case, I am sorry for yelling at you." Eclaire replied with an apology of her own.

"I must admit that I am also worried about them. I've heard nothing good about the current Daimyo of Izumo." Eclaire added.

"Like what? Millhi-chan told me a little about the situation last night over a dinner, but that was enough to put a bad taste in my mouth. That guy sounds like a real jerk. You can't just force someone to marry you like that. It just doesn't work that way." Shinku scowled. Eclaire was honestly surprised at what Shinku said to her. It was a very chivalrous line of thought that she didn't expect. He let his exasperation go as he turned to her.

"Say, you feel like getting some training in?" He asked her, making her smirk. She wanted a rematch since the day they fought to a draw.

"Let's go." She replied, the two of them heading out to one of the training fields.

Along the way, many people saw the two of them proceeding to the training grounds, chatting amicably as they did so. Among those that saw them was her own brother and Amelita, who were engaged in a conversation of their own.

"It seems that Shinku and your sister have been getting along quite well as of late." Amelita commented.

"You're right about that. I remember discussing with Sir Ichigo that Shinku and Eclaire would make a good match." Rolan replied with a chuckle.

"Oh? And what did the two of you come up with?" She asked, interested in this little bit of information.

"It seems that our young princess is harbouring feelings for our younger hero, as well." Rolan answered.

"I...Have seen the glances that she sends at the boy when she thinks no one is looking. I admit that it is quite adoreable. She is experienceing her first crush and first love at the tender age of fourteen." Amelita added with a small smile of her own.

"Then I guess that she will need to make her move before Eclaire realises what she has. I may be her brother, but she will need to snag him on her own." Rolan stated.

"I suppose that is for the best. I mean, you would only want the best for your baby sister, but you also want her to be able to fend for herself should she have to. Such a good brother you are." Amelita replied to him, sighing a bit at the end and making him color slightly from their close proximity as the two walked on.

The two young fighters walked out to the training yard among the other knights that were in training there and picked up their weapons, Shinku using his staff and Eclaire with her short blades.

"Rules?" He asked.

"No Seal powers. First one disarmed loses." She declared confidently as she got into her combat stance, Shinku into his. His training with his sempai had actually benefitted him in ways he hadn't counted on. He was facing a very skilled fighter, but the fear wasn't there. Instead, he was calm and able to think clearly.

Eclaire suddenly snapped out at him with an opening attack, which he parried with a swift twist of his staff and countered with a swipe of his own. Eclaire backed off slightly to re-assess her opponent and what he just did.

_'He moved so smoothly and saw right through my attack...I'll need to be quicker than him.'_ She thought as she attacked him more cautiously this time. This blow led to a large barrage and rapid exchange of blows, counters, parries and the like that went on for a solid minute. During which time, the rest of the knights had come to watch the spar, in awe of the battle that one of their Captains and one of the Heroes were engaged in.

The two backed off for a moment and gaged each other. This was a harder battle than either of them had anticipated and they were both at the limit of their stamina, so they needed to end this fight quickly. They shifted and tensed, getting ready to pounce. The wind shifted slightly becoming an unseen signal to launch their simultanious strikes. The two clashed in an instant, the two of them disarming one another at the same time!

"That was good...Eclaire." Shinku said.

"You too..." She replied as they straightened up again, Shinku walking over to her and held out his hand. She took it and shook his hand with a small smile.

_'Heh...He's not so bad. At least his elder counterpart is rubbing off on him...'_ She appraised, but lady luck's favor with them had turned fickle. As he had strode forward, there was a small rock sticking out of the ground. He took one more step forward and caught his toes on it, sending him toppling into his sparring partner...or rather on TOP of her. The two blue eyed teens stared into each others eyes for the briefest of moments...before Eclaire's brain re-booted and noticed the position they were in and brought up a sharp knee to his groin.

"STUPID, CLUMSY IDIOT! AND TO THINK I THOUGHT YOU WERE STARTING TO BECOME LIKE THAT OTHER HERO AND BE INTERESTED IN YOU!" She blurted out, not fully aware of what she had said until she stopped ranting, a near full body blush running rampant as she tore off for her room as Shinku was being helped off the ground by a couple of the knights.

"Girls are crazy..." He muttered to himself, but Emilio, who was training there, smirked.

"That can be true, but you are still young. You won't find girls so crazy once you get older." He teased, making the boy remember the night prior that he spent with the princess and that she had kissed him.

From a window above the training grounds, Princess Millhiore had seen the entire thing. While she knew what had happened was an accident, it didn't stop her from becoming worried. She knew that she was starting to have feelings for the younger hero, although she had no idea how to act on them. From what she could interpret from what Eclaire blurted out, she had certain hopes for him as well. Now, she knew that the clock was ticking and that she had to make her move soon, before she regretted waiting and stalling.

_**IN IZUMO**_

Inside the Inn, the three woke up quickly and convened on what to do if the situation turned sour. They had been safe the night before, although the ninja that were watching them had gotten close. Had they done anything hostile, Ichigo's hidden sentries would have taken them out and from the looks of things, they hadn't even noticed the Kage Bunshin. That was a good thing, meaning they still had a hidden Ace-in-the-Hole to use just in case.

"What do you think we should do? We have until noon to walk around and case this place out until we have to go to the palace." Yuki asked.

"I...Would like to find my Grandfather, Lord Yukinari. I must see if he is alright." Brioche asked of her companions. To her relief, it brooked no arguments. They wouldn't begrudge her a visit with her only remaining blood relative.

"That sounds like a plan. We should heave out right now if we want to have time to find him." Ichigo suggested. The troupe checked out of the Inn and hit the streets, Brioche seeing many familiar sights from her childhood along the way. One of the old shopkeepers recognised her and ushered her inside.

"Lady Brioche! Is it really safe to be walking around so openly when Lord Ukyo is looking for you?" The old woman and her husband whispered. These two were still loyal to Lord Souzen, as was the mass majority of the citizenry.

"Don't worry so, Baa-san, Jii-san. Ukyo will not do anything so brazenly, especially since we represent the Kingdom of Biscotti. He will not risk starting a war over his wounded pride so easily." Brioche assured her, but she was pretty sure that Ukyo was petty enough to do such a thing.

"All the same, My Lady...Please be careful." The old man urged as they left the small shop.

The group continued out toward the western part of the city, where Brioche lived with her grandfather prior to her leaving. After another 30 minutes of walking, Brioche guided them to the house she lived in years ago, hoping that he grandfather still lived there. She guided her two ninja companions inside the genkan and called out.

"Ojii-sama! Are you home?" She called out, hoping he was there. She was in luck, becaused someone answered her.

"Hello? Who's there?" An aged voice inquired, coming closer. An old man, hunched over due to his advanced age, hobbled around the corner to see who his guests were. He nearly had a heart attack due to who he saw.

"M-my little Brioche...Is it really you?" He asked, his voice trembling. Brioche rushed up to embrace him, confirming his question as he too hugged his granddaughter.

"Jii-chan...I missed you so much..." She sobbed.

"I missed you too, my precious granddaughter. You have blossomed into a beautiful lady, just like your mother." Yukinari complemented her as he noticed her companions.

"Who are your friends, Brioche?" He asked.

"They are my comrades-in-arms, Yukikaze Panettone and Ichigo Uzumaki, who have come with me from Biscotti to settle this ridiculous farce Ukyo started once and for all." Brioche stated in a firm tone, much like her father.

_'She has her mother's beauty and her father's iron will...They would be so proud of her.'_ He thought as he turned to look at her friends.

"You come from Biscotti? Are you part of the Army or the Royal Court?" He asked.

"Sir, we are of the military. The princess asked me to come with your granddaughter for her safety and to counteract any threat this Ukyo person might pose. I'll admit that the more I hear about this guy, the less I like him." Ichigo answered.

"Lady Brioche found me years ago, wandering on my own in a forest and she offered for me to come with her. I've followed her ever since." Yukikaze added.

"You have chosen your friends well, granddaughter." He said, turning towards the interior of the house.

"Please...Come inside. If you are to face Ukyo tomorrow, we have much to discuss." The old man said as he ushered them inside, looking around for anyone watching as he did so.

"Grandfather, what happened to Lord Souzen? And Eimi and little Yukito? And Master Jubei?" Brioche bombarded him with questions as he slowed her down.

"Master Jubei is fine. Old and cranky, but fine. Eimi and Yukito are also fine since Jubei is guarding them and Ukyo wouldn't dare to do anything while they are under his watch...But Lord Souzen...Is dead." He told them gravely.

Brioche held in a gasp, tears leaking out as she leaned into her newly found significant other for some support. She wasn't disappointed when his arm held her close, his hand soothing her hair in a calming gesture while Yukikaze bowed her head. She had heard nothing but positive things about the previous Daimyo, so he was worth mourning. Yukinari saw the way she went to this man for comfort and grinned softly to himself.

_'She found someone on her own? I had a feeling she would, but now I need to get to know this young man that will be courting the last of my flesh and blood.'_ He thought as Brioche regained control.

"What happened?" She asked, steeling herself.

"From what I could gather, it was at the young prince's birthday celebration. He noticed that the server was acting strangely, so he took a discreet bite from his cake and fell ill almost immediately. He held on for a few days, but died just a month ago. Those who are still loyal to the line of sucession are positive that this was a blatant assassination attempt on the prince, but Lord Souzen sniffed it out. Ukyo has no intention of handing power over to Prince Yukito once he turns 16. I am certain that now that Lord Souzen is dead and Prince Yukito is now 13, he will step up his plans since he is running out of time." Yukinari growled.

"Bastard...He'd kill his own nephew for power? Sounds like the kind of person that deserves to swing from a gallows." Ichigo scowled.

"I know. But on to the matter at hand. Since you are going into the palace to meet with him, you must expect foul play. He will likely not let you go without doing something foolish, so please be careful in there. Also, I have heard rumors of him hiring a foreign mercenary by the name of Febre, a devious and cunning swordsman whose skill is said to be unmatched. I cannot help you anymore than this." The old man told them, regret in his tone.

"If I were a younger man, I'd go in there with you..." He muttered, but Ichigo halted his train of thought.

"You've done enough to warn us and tell us what's been happening here. That's probably dangerous enough. Thank you." Ichigo thanked him as the three of them departed for the castle in the center of the city.

"May the gods protect you..." Yukinari prayed for them as he headed back inside.

_**IZUMO PALACE**_

Brioche, Yuki, and Ichigo all walked towards the palace as a steady clip, reaching the main gates just before high noon. While en route, the trio were going over tactics to take if something went wrong. Brioche suggested that he sent a trio of his clones disguised as them in instead, but he reasoned that it wouldn't work since he doesn't know most of the finer details, so they would be spotted as fakes at the very least, so that idea was nixed. Yuki suggested fighting their way out, but nixed that idea herself when she re-thought it. It seemed suicidal and there was no guarantee they could pull it off. Finally, Ichigo remembered that he could possibly utilize his long range shunshin, the _**Shukuchi**_, but wasn't sure on how transporting that many people at once would sit with his chakra system without Sakuhime to bolster him. So far, it was the only viable plan they had to work with short of slugging their way out.

They checked in at the main gate, where a pair of retainers showed up to escort them to the main audience chambers. Along the way, Ichigo and Yuki took in the layout of their path, commiting it to memory for later use while Brioche steeled herself against anything she may find.

Inside the audience chamber, Ukyo sat waiting for his guests to arrive and had a devious idea.

"Have the prince, his mother and that old fart Jubei brought in here. I need to have some insurance." He ordered as the guard did as he was told.

A few moments later, the door swung open and his retainer announced the arrival of the Biscotti delegation.

"Lord Ukyo, presenting the delegation from the Kingdom of Biscotti, Countess Brioche d'Arquien, Lady Yukikaze Panettone, and Sir Ichigo Uzumaki." The retainer announced as the three of them made their way inside, Bricohe leading them. She asked them to halt while she approached the dais.

"Ukyo...What is the meaning of this farce? You know I defeated you in a fairly sanctioned duel, yet you insist on continuing all of this?" Brioche accused heatedly, the death of Lord Souzen still fresh in her mind.

"Why my beautiful Brioche...Why say such ugly things to your rightful husband? You know, I never stopped looking for you all and to think you'd been hiding in that weak nation all this time. I really should have just swept it away, but I am not without mercy. Just give yourself to me, and your home will be spared." Ukyo offered, his arrogant smirk threatening to split his face in two.

"WHAT? You have the nerve to threaten my homeland? The home of my father? You really are a spineless coward, you know that Ukyo? I would _never_ give myself to a spoiled, sniviling weakling like you." Brioche declared, her tone and eyes razor sharp.

"A coward, am I? So be it." He sneered as he snapped his fingers. A side door opened and into the chamber a child and his mother and an old man were thrust inside, hands bound. Three ninja walked in behind them and held tanto to their necks.

"Uncle Ukyo...What's happening?" Young Yukito asked, the thirteen year old boy a little frightened.

"Ukyo, you maniac! What are you doing?" Eimi shouted, fearing for her child's safety.

"Boy...I should have killed you when you tried to take Brioche by force." Jubei growled, his eyes narrowed.

"Shut up, you weak old fool." Ukyo drawled.

"Unbind my hands, brat, and I'll show you who's weak." Jubei bit back.

"Brioche...I'll ask you again. Be mine and I will spare these fools. Refuse, and they die but not only them, I will march on Biscotti and raze it to the ground for your insolence. Their fates are in your hands." Ukyo sneered at her.

"You monster...You would kill you own family to get what you want?" Brioche gasped.

"Of course, I would. Blood is a small price to pay for the power I want, but I'm glad I did. Cutting off the reinforcements to my brother and your father was only the start, not that the Saurian Tribes needed much convincing to kill them." Ukyo admitted smugly.

"You...You bastard...That was YOU?" Brioche snarled. Her father's death was directly HIS fault.

Ichigo looked around quickly for a solution to their problem. He needed to neutralize the threat to the three innocents held hostage, find a way to protect them, and finally get them all out. Right now, all of their plans were shot to hell and they needed to act quickly. Brioche had no intention of complying with what Ukyo wanted, since he would just kill them anyway and follow through on his threat. She also knew that her newly found lover's life would be forfeit while she and Yuki would more than likely be used to sate Ukyo's twisted desires. He saw how she clung to the male of her team and that enraged him, but he had a sickening plan. He would have Febre kill him and break her spirit.

"Yes. That was all me. But, I am still hungering for some sport. If your male teammate can best someone of my choosing, I will consider letting all of this go. If he loses...Well, you can fill in the rest." Ukyo said smugly. However, he had no idea who he was dealing with.

"Fine. I'll fight whatever meat sack you put in front of me, but should you reneg on your offer, the comfort of death will not come easily to you." Ichigo stated, his eyes flashing a light blue for a moment.

The preperations were made in a hurry and they filed out to the courtyard. Eimi sent every prayer she knew that this man could best Febre. He was a well known and infamous mercenary whose skill with a blade could only be bested by a small handful, but he was also ruthless and heartless to such a degree that he was more monster than a man, killing as he pleased where ever the Flonya protection didn't exist.

_'I hope this young man can do it...Febre even got me. Damn this old body of mine...'_ Jubei grimaced.

_"My lady...You think this will go smoothly?"_ Yuki whispered to Brioche.

_"I have faith that he can win._ _Ukyo's arrogance has blinded him from viewing footage of the battles at Fort Mion and Filliano Hills. He won't know what hit him."_ Brioche replied, hiding her smirk.

From the opposite end of the courtyard, a man in black with an eyepatch strutted out, his rapier at his side as he gauged his opponent with a critical eye. He turned to Ukyo.

"My price has just doubled if I am to fight this one." He declaired.

"WHAT? I have already paid you a small fortune, you foregin swine!" Ukyo bellowed.

"Fine then. Have fun fighting this guy yourself." Febre shrugged as he turned and walked away, but stopped and looked at Ichigo.

"You looked like such a strong opponent, too. Not like the dregs around here. Oh well...I have a feeling our paths will cross again." He shrugged as he set out, cutting down anyone foolish enough to stop him.

The outcry caused by his indescriminate slayings of Ukyo's guards enabled Yuki to act quickly, disabling the three Izumo ninja holding the Crown Prince, his mother and the aging samurai captive. She whistled down to Ichigo, who flickered up to them as she, Ichigo, and Brioche formed a defensive circle around them.

"Anyone who wants to hurt them will have to go through us first." Ichigo declared.

Some of the guards lost their resolve, still clinging to loyalty to the rightful heir and their old commander.

"I-I can't raise my weapon against the crown prince." One muttered.

"I agree. Lord Ukyo has just tried to usurp the throne and betrayed our rightful heir." Another followed him.

"Protect the Crown Prince!" More of them called out, almost all of the guards in the chamber, coming to defend the child.

"TRAITORS! NINJA! KILL THEM ALL!" Ukyo screamed as his shinobi dropped down into the courtyard and the fighting ensued.

In the midst of the fighting, Ichigo had them move the fight towards the front of the castle, as he was trying to get them out of there and to safety. Jubei could see what he was trying to do and he scooped up the blade of a fallen samurai.

"I'll help you, boy! It's the least I could do for someone who would fight on our behalf!" Jubei yelled as he blocked a ninja-to and struck down a guard loyal to Ukyo.

"Fine! Just help us cover them so we can get out of the palace and into the city!" He called out above the din of combat, cleaving two ninja at once with a single swipe.

In the courtyard, Ukyo was stewing in rage.

"Where is that idiot Hatsuragi? Why didn't his trap get sprung?" Ukyo screamed. A kunai thrown from the shadows and impacting near his feet answered him.

"I'm afraid Hatsuragi-sama won't be joining us. We will NOT be party to you schemes any longer!" Pochi bellowed, the Izumo ninja leaping down behind him to support him.

"Ageha! Shikijo! Make sure he doesn't escape! They rest of you...Protect the Prince!" Pochi ordered as the Izumo ninja sprang into action, to both cleanse the ranks of traitors and protect their rightful ruler.

By the time they arrived to help, at least one hundred crooked guards and traitorous ninja had been slain. Yuki, Brioche, Ichigo, Jubei and a small handful of remaining samurai all stood victoriously over the bodies and turned to the ninja, ready to fight.

"Stop! We have come to help you at the behest of Pochi-sama!" A young shinobi called out to halt any hostilities.

"How can we be sure of that?" Jubei inquired, demanding an answer.

"Pochi-sama has disposed of Hatsuragi and captured Ukyo. Please...We mean you no harm!" The ninja responded.

"We should check this out carefully. I'll send a Kage Bunshin in to check it out." Ichigo whispered, Brioche agreeing with him as he did so.

The Kage Bunshin went inside with a couple of the Izumo nin to confirm their story. Once inside, it talked to the leader of the nin, Pochi.

"So...You really did capture him. Why the change of heart?" The clone asked.

"After Souzen-sama was murdered by Ukyo, we were ready to sever all ties with him and support the Crown Prince. But after hearing of how he arranged for the demise of Lord Sakyo and Count d'Arquien and his blatant attempt to kill Yukito-sama, we knew we had to act. I killed Hatsuragi, whom Ukyo put in charge along with ninja he had corrupted." Pochi explained.

"Damn you all! I nearly had it! I nearly claimed my birthright that was stolen from me by that little brat! I was supposed to become Daimyo! I was the better one, not my stupid brother! He was weak!" Ukyo ranted and raved until a kunoichi shut him up with punch to the gut.

"Shut up! Lord Sakyo's son is the rightful Daimyo of Izumo and you have the nerve to assassinate not only both Lord Souzen and Lord Sakyo, but a foregin dignitary! You could have started a war!" Ageha screamed at the foolish man as she and Shikijo dragged him off to a jail cell to await his punishment.

"Again. We are grateful to you for the assistance we received from Biscotti and that Lady Brioche is now safe from him. We will handle Ukyo from here." Pochi said, he and his ninja all leaping away to perform their duties, the Kage Bunshin dispelling.

Ichigo's head jerked as he absorbed the information on what happened and he relayed that to the rest. Jubei was relieved.

"Pochi is a good man. We can trust him. It seems as though the danger has passed, but Lord Yukito is still not old enough to rule as of yet." Jubei surmised.

"I am old enough! I can protect mother!" He protested indignantly.

"I'm sure you can, young man, but the law states that you cannot rule until you are sixteen years of age. As per the law..." He stated then paused, turning towards Eimi.

"Lady Eimi...You are now the Dowager Empress until your son comes of age." Jubei told the woman as he bowed low to her, the remaining guards following his lead.

"It seems as though we accomplished more than we set out to do." Yuki commented to her companions.

"I know. But we have helped set my mother's homeland free from that tyrant. I can rest easier not that he is gone." Brioche replied, getting Jubei's attention.

"Little Brioche...You've certainly grown from the scrawny runt you used to be!" He commented with a loud guffaw as he noted her figure.

"J-Jubei-sensei!" She squawked indignantly as she hid behind her towering companion, fueling his chortling further.

"So...Have you at least found yourself a boyfriend during all these years?" He teased, but the reaction he got made his eyes widen. He was only joking with her, but she confirmed his question by linking her hand with the man she had hid behind.

"I see...So you really have grown up from the little girl who thought boys were all too weak for her." Jubei snarked again.

"I'm happy for you, Brioche...I'm sure my husband, Lord Souzen and your parents would be happy, as well." Eimi added.

"Mother...Is she the one that used to hold me when I was little?" Yukito asked.

"You're still little Yuki-chan, but yes. She is your Auntie Brioche. Your real uncle did something horrible to her, so she had to leave when you were still very young. Things will be alright now that he is gone." Eimi declared as they entered the castle to further discuss things.

"You are all welcome to stay with us in the castle for the time being." Eimi offered to them kindly.

"Thank you, Lady Eimi, for your generosity." Brioche accepted on their behalf.

"No need for such formalities, Brioche. Just as Sakyo saw you as a little sister, as did I. You are like family to Yukito and myself and you will always be welcome here." The newly made Dowager Empress replied as they settled in and got cleaned up for a celebration dinner and party.

After the celebration dinner and everyone else departed for bed, Brioche was standing on the balcony to her room, thinking about all that had happened recently. She was free from the threat of Ukyo constantly coming after her and endangering everything she held dear. Next, she had obtained the relationship she had wanted with her fellow swordsman, their first date being sucessful beyond her wildest dreams. Her Grandfather, Jubei, and Eimi all approved of her choice and she was happy with things the way they turning out.

On the balcony next to hers, she saw Ichigo come out to stretch before bed. He looked over and noticed her.

"Oh...Hey. Couldn't sleep, either?" He yawned.

"No...I had other things on my mind." Brioche replied with a sigh. She took this opportunity to speak with him a little more as she lept over to his balcony.

"Like what?" Ichigo asked as he made room for her.

"Like how this will impact the continent and our nation's standing...As well as us. Where we stand as a couple." Brioche admitted.

"Oh...Well, we have some time to ourselves now that this mission is over. Maybe...We can expand on what we started in Bastogne?" Ichigo suggested. Brioche was more than receptive about that idea as she sidled up to him, linking her arm with his and facing him.

"I don't see why not." She replied softly as she brought her hand to his cheek and kissed him. To her surprise and joy, he reciprocated her feelings as he pressed into it. After a moment or two, the two seperated.

"I...Love you...Ichigo Uzumaki." Brioche whispered.

"I love you, too...Brioche d'Arquien." He replied, the two of them looking into each other's eyes for a few moments.

"I guess this is as official as it gets, huh?" He joked with her.

"I guess so. I swear to you...That I will never leave your side. That I will always love you, just as those who came before me. I can see what they saw in you and I couldn't be any happier." Brioche declared.

"Third time's a charm." He answered her as he yawned again.

"Oh man...You wanna get some sleep? We need to head back home tomorrow." He yawned. She nodded and climbed into his bed, winking at him. His face gave an amused smirk as he slid under the covers next to her, holding her by the waist.

"You know...We really should be married if were are going to do this." Ichigo teased.

"Who ever said I didn't intend to marry you someday?" She replied, both joking and serious at the same time.

"You...really want to? I know that you just got this resolved, but I didn't think you'd want to so suddenly." He reasoned.

"If anything...This whole chain of events has told me otherwise. I could have lost you, or you could have lost me back there. We can't sit back and wait. I know that I won't regret it, not if it's you." She reasoned with him.

"I know...It's just...My loves have been taken from me twice, so you'd understand if I was a little hesitant about this, but like I said earlier. Third time's a charm, right?" He answered her, her smile growing larger.

"We won't regret this...I just know it." Brioche sighed as she settled down to sleep beside her lover, peacefully slumbering in his arms as he did the same.

Outside of the window, Yukikaze smiled wistfully.

"My Lady...Now you are truly free. Whatever you decide, I will remain as long as you wish me to." Yuki whispered as she made her way to bed as well, in team intending to return to Biscotti the following morning.

_A/N: Well...Here's another chapter for those of you out there that actually like this fic. I told you all that I would continue to write if even one person enjoys what I do, so I intend to make good on what I said._


	7. Chapter 7

_**Finally...The next chapter is out. I know that this took a long time to push out, but I've been going through some personal troubles as of late. Please be patient as I try to continue writing.**_

_**THE NEXT MORNING...**_

_**IZUMO CASTLE**_

Everyone was already awake and wanted to see off the heroes that helped them save them from a corrupt despot. The three person delegation from Biscotti were already mounted on their Cellkulls and ready to ride off home until the Dowager Empress herself stopped them, Jubei and her son Yukito by her side.

"Is there something the matter, Your Majesty?" Brioche inquired.

"Yes...I spent the last night writing this letter for your Princess. Please make sure that she gets this, Brioche." Eimi asked of her.

"I'll make sure of it." She smiled.

"Auntie Brioche? Will you come back again?" Yukito asked.

"Of course I will, Little Yukito." She teased the young prince.

"I'm not little anymore!" Yukito replied with indignation.

"Farewell!" Brioche called to the people who were like family to her as the trio rode off out of the city and up North to the Dauphine Mountain Range, the route home.

_**THE NEXT AFTERNOON **_

_**BISCOTTI CASTLE**_

Brioche and her entourage made it through the castle gates in the early afternoon, being ushered inside quickly and urgently.

"Thank the Gods! You three came back this quickly!" Emilio exclaimed.

"Emilio...What happened around here? It looks like you're getting ready for another fight." Ichigo asked.

"Sir Ichigo...We'll tell you everything upon reaching the audience chamber. Please follow me." He instructed as he led them to the chamber to see the Princess and hopefully understand what was going on.

They reached the chambers wher ethey saw Rolan, Eclaire, along with Rizel, Amelita and the Elders, who were very happy that they had returned so quickly.

"Do all go well in Izumo?" One of the elders inquired.

"Yes...It was a resounding success." Brioche smiled winningly as they told them what had happened.

They were saddened by the passing of Lord Souzen, but glad that Ukyo had been dethroned. On top of that, the newly crowned Dowager Empress wanted to extend the hand of her Kingdom in friendship to Biscotti, offering their full support in return for helping them regain control of their country. It wasn't the reason why they went there, but they went far above and beyond the call of duty with this one. They were very glad that the threat that Ukyo and his followers posed had been completely snuffed out, gaining a valuable ally in the process.

"I knew we could count on the three of you!" Millhiore stated, completely delighted by the news. She and the rest of the immediate court were also thrilled that their Goddess of War had found her match in one of the Heroes, and that they were eager to make this relationship work out. However, it was time to get to the business at hand.

"Princess...What's been going on around here? The minute were reached the castle we saw troops running around like crazy." Ichigo inquired for the three of them.

The princess's cute and happy face then looked grim as she explained the announcement the previous day.

_**FLASHBACK...**_

_It had started out like any other day usually did, except that Millhi asked Shinku to accompany her on her morning walks. The two had a good time, letting the princess let her hair down for the first time in seemingly years and just have fun. The princess had an ultirior motive for this. She was very sweet on Shinku and wanted to get his attention, then she would confess what she felt for him. She had watched him for a long time and had fallen hard for the young blond. She was close to making her move._

_ When they returned to the castle and got started with their days, Millhi was in her chambers with her personal staff, watching a weather report when the caster suddenly got a news flash._

_ "This is Percy Gaudy, reporting in live from the front gates of Galette Castle! Just moments ago, Princess Leonmichelle made a shocking announcement! We now go to the footage taken just moments ago!" The news girl announced as the feed switched over. _

_ It now showed the interior of Castle Galette's audience chambers, where standing at the podium in full military uniform was Princess Leonmichelle. She was ready to speak._

_ "We will be holding a military conference here in Galette Castle in four days time and I intend to change some minor details." She announced, switching gears before speaking again._

_ "Our last two battles with Biscotti have ended in defeat due to the arrivals of the two heroes of Biscotti and then the return of Dame d'Arquien. If we just turn and let these failures slide, we will be nothing but a disgrace to the legacy left behind by my late father and to the Lion Knights. In light of this, I propose another battle with Biscotti!" She announced boldly, drawing gasps from the media in attendance._

_ "Since the proposal of this battle is so sudden, I will allow Biscotti full rights to arrange for the post battle entertainment. I also invite and strongly encourage participation from all private businesses and corporations." _

_ The citizenry were almost glowing with anticipation at the news. They were ready and waiting to throw themselves into the fray._

_ "Of course, there will be great rewards and lots of money to be earned. Gather and join in to make yourself some quick cash!" She said. The citizens of Galette were singing her praises in the streets._

_ However, in Biscotti, the Knights were all watching the broadcast and some of them were a little worried. Rolan and Eclaire watched the broadcast in his office with narrowed eyes. Something just didn't seem right._

_ "As soon as Biscotti agrees to this, we will begin selling tickets. I understand that this is very short notice and that people will rush to get involved. I will disclose more details later on, so continue to spread the word." She told everyone, but her smirk was saying that she wasn't finished yet._

_ "Additionally, there is something that I would like to use as a wager in the battle." She announced as the camera panned right to an object covered by a large cloth. A man near it pulled the cloth away to reveal the Holy Weapons of the Galette Kingdom, causing even more people to gasp._

_ "My Kingdom's prized weapons : The Axe Granveil and the Holy Sword Ex-Machina!" She cried as she stood up and looked directly into one of the cameras._

_ "I hope that you're watching, Princess Millhiore. We would like Biscotti to offer something of equal value to match, such as the Twin Holy Swords, Exillion and Palladion. On top of that we would also like you to wager the Holy Blade Ensis Celesti, wielded by the Hero Ichigo."_

_ With the princess, she and her staff watched and listened with worry. They were wondering what kind of hidden motive Leo had for such a thing and what would make her run such a gambit._

_ "Citizens of both countries, be it for your own reasons, if you have the guts to fight, join us on the battlefield!" She yelled, rasing her fist aloft. Both nation's people cheered wildly, eager to fight._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

"What could that girl be thinking?" Brioche wondered to herself.

"Why would they want my sword for? No one can use it but me." Ichigo also wondered aloud.

"I do not know, but I would never wager your weapon against your will, Sir Ichigo. You came to us with it, so it is yours and yours alone, a final reminder of your people."Millhi assured him.

"Don't worry about it Princess. I'll do it, then decimate them again and take it back. I told you that I swore my loyalty to my new home and I'll do whatever it takes to preserve and protect it." Ichigo swore.

"...Thank you. I know that we have no right to ask that of you, but thank you." Millhiore thanked him again as they concerned themselves with what to do about this.

"So...These Holy Weapons are like national treasures, right?" Shinku asked, walking outside in a courtyard with Ricotta and Yukikaze.

"Yes, though sometimes other countries will lend them out to another as a way to cement good relations, but Princess Leonmichelle's actions defy logic." Ricotta mused while answering the question.

"You are most likely correct. However, the citizens believe that this is just that, good relations. Something else is going on, but I cannot figure it out." Yukikaze spoke up as they walked through the courtyard.

Meanwhile, in the planning room...

"What has happened with Princess Leonmichelle? It's as if she really intends to conquer us." Elder #1 stated.

"I would like to think that isn't the case, but still..." Elder #2 added, worry in his tone. Rolan cut in.

"However, she clearly stated that she wishes for us to wager our Holy Weapons. Amelita...Do you still have the battle proclamation?" The Knight Captain requested.

"Yes...I will read it out." She said as she unraveled the scroll and cleared her throat.

"According to the proclamation, the winner will hold on to the weapons for no longer than 60 days. During which time, to display or use them is at the discretion of the two countries as long as they are treated properly and returned during that 60 day period. That is all." Amelita said, reading the scroll verbatim.

"If that is so, then they can use our weapons as they see fit, even turning them against us." Elder #1 spoke, dreading what they could be used for.

"Can't we refuse this?" Elder #2 said, his face in his palms.

"No...She already made sure of that. She rallied the people with that message." Brioche stated.

"If we don't offer our swords as well, we will look weak and at fault." Eclaire added to that.

"Other forms of compensation will require massive amounts of money...I do not know if our treasury can handle the financial strain." Amelita informed them, her tone grim.

"I see...Our choices either way don't look too good. She deliberately worded her declaration so that we would lose face should we decline. Underhanded, but smart." Ichigo piped up, adding his input.

"Princess...What shall we do?" Elder #3 asked of her.

Millhiore had sat through the entire meeting with a downcast look on her face. She didn't know where Leo learned to love fighting so much. It was as if the Leo she knew and loved like a sister didn't exist anymore.

Out in the courtyard again, Rico, Shinku, and Yukikaze were still walking along and discussing what had happened.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Shinku asked.

"I am afraid not. The most we can hope for is for the Princess and her council to reach a decision since this is a political matter." Yuki replied.

Just as they finished their conversation, they heard a guard shout. They looked over and saw a crowd of guards surrounding someone with their weapons drawn, so they ran over to investigate.

"What are you doing here?" Emilio demanded.

"Agh! I've been caught!" A female voice cried out.

"Don't tell me that you have been spying on us prior to the start of the battle." Emilio said, his sword drawn.

"No no! It's not like that at all!" Jaune exclaimed.

"Emilio! What's going on here?" Yukikaze inquired.

"Dame Panettone! We found a Galette spy masquerading as one of our knights!" Emilio informed her.

"I already told you, I'm not a spy! I was sent here my Prince Gaul to deliver a message to Hero Shinku! That's all!" Jaune stated, handing a letter to Shinku, who opened it and read it.

A few moment's later, Shinku and Jaune left the castle, where Prince Gaul was waiting for them to arrive. They arrived at the designated meeting place.

"Gaul...What's going on here?" Shinku nearly demanded to know. He wasn't amused by the pressure that was being piled on Millhi due to this.

"You know what it is. It's about this upcoming battle. Godwin and I were against this, but she went ahead with her plans. This battle is pointless." Gaul answered him.

"I see. We were actually starting to wonder if she really intends to conquer Biscotti. Sempai would go ballistic if that were the case." Shinku replied.

He knew that if Ichigo found that she were trying to conquer and subjugate his new home, then he would be on the warpath that very minute ready to not just defeat, but completely destroy the threat in the most brutally efficient manner possible. He knew enough about his sempai to know that he would readily take on the entire Galette Royal Army alone if he had to, and would do extreme damage before he was taken down.

"I know. This is too extreme, even for my sister. I wouldn't think she would risk making an enemy of the guy she's been so infatuated with. This just doesn't make any sense." Gaul stated, racking his brain for answers, but none came. With a sigh, he launched into an explaination.

"Our two countries have been friends and allies for many generations. An invasion at this point is unjustifed and pointless, but at this point, the battle in unavoidable. I'll try to get her to be more specific on the terms concerning the weapons, but if I fail...Please win this somehow. I know that with that other Hero fighting in your corner, you can do it." Gaul confided in him.

"Why do you care so much about this?" Shinku questioned.

"I really like it here. I like the scenery, people and the food, not to mention Millhi. Besides, a battle here is supposed to be fun for everyone, win or lose. But...This battle is going too far." Gaul finished, turning his mount around with Jaune doing the same thing, heading back for Galette before he is missed.

"Thanks, Gaul!" Shinku called out.

"Don't mention it! Just don't tell anyone we spoke." Gaul replied as he and Jaune broke into a full gallop and vanished into the treeline.

Shinku remembered Millhi telling him that she and Leo were very close when they were younger, so he thought htat she might have a little insight as to what was going on here. Upon reaching the castle, he found that Millhi was busy elsewhere, but Amelita filled in the gaps for him on Miilhi's sister-like relationship with Leo.

"Well...King Basillio and King Armand were very close friends, having been practically raised together from a very young age. Naturally, this close bond transcended them and carried on to their daughters. Princess Leonmichelle was like an elder sister to our princess, and they spent a lot of time together. As they got older, they got interested in different things. Princess Millhiore was interested in the welfare of her people and how to run a government while Princess Leonmichelle excelled in the Arts of War. However, this hadn't lessened their bond, in fact it got stronger when their father's died. The first problems began to occur around six months ago, when she began to act strangely." Amelita said.

"Strangely?" Shinku parroted.

"Yes. She was beginning to meddle in the affairs of our nation. She usually suggested that we increase our fighting strength, or post more bodyguards around our princess. We took her suggestions under consideration, but Princess Millhiore refused the extra protection. Princess Leo then began to build up her military strength at an alarming rate. Then, three months ago, she cut off all communication with the princess without warning." Amelita informed him, now looking at him.

"She is very confused and heartbroken right now. She feels as though her best friend from childhood has turned against her, adding to the deteriorating relations between our countries. If they take our Holy Weapons on top of this...We fear for the worst." Amelita finished gravely, leaving Shinku to think on it.

Shinku was at a loss over what to do. He wanted to tell his sempai badly, hoping that he would know what to do, but he promised Gaul he'd keep a lid on it. Winning this battle, however, was the one thing he could count on him doing everything in his power to accomplish.

_**A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER...**_

A massive crowd had gathered at the balcony of the palace, with a huge amount of media coverage to document what the Princess had decided. Lining the balcony on both sides were Rolan and Ichigo, a small contingent of her personal staff with them. Ichigo had been given a cloak with the Biscotti Army signet on it to signify that he deserved to be there, a Knight Captain like Rolan.

Back behind the curtains, the elders were getting antsy.

"Are you sure this will be okay?" Elder #1 asked.

"The princess has made her decision. The best we can do is carry it out to the best of our ability." Brioche replied a shuffling of feet and light clanking of armor telling them that the princess, escorted by Eclaire and two Knights had arrived.

The procession made their way out to the balcony, where Millhiore walked up to the edge and was greeted by the cheers of her people. A maid handed her a microphone, so that she could address her people. She looked to the camera crews set up on the balcony, who gave her the cue to start her speech.

Behind the scenes, Shinku and Amelita walked up to Yuki and Brioche, who saw them come in. They all waited for her to speak.

"Hello, there!" She greeted her people spiritedly, a thunderous roar of applause ripping around the area.

"I know that you all saw the news this morning. We were also taken by surprise by this sudden declaration of war by our neighbors. The elders were so surprized, they nearly passed out!" She joked with the crowd to break up the tension.

"Rest assured that only their pride was briused!" She added, her people greatly appreciating her good humor before she got started.

"Ever since I came to rule, we've lost battle after battle with Galette. the battles may have been a lot of fun, but not being able to deliver you the victory you deserve was very hard. Even still, we are not a weak nation. The only reason for our streak of losses is because of my inexperience as a ruler and my inability to accurately marshal our strength." She explained but the people would have none of that. They full heartedly supported her and let her know it.

"Thank you, everyone. This is the reason why we have been preparing ourselves for these past six months. So that we can dig in our heels and stand our ground. Filliano Industries has just released the newest models of weaponry and armor, to give our soldiers every chance we can give them out there. Our youngest knights have become much stronger, especially with the arrival of out heroes to help them train. All of this...Is why Biscotti will accept the declaration of war from Galette! We will not run nor surrender without a fight!" Millhiore declared boldly, her people once again erupting with applause.

"Of course...We will uphold the wager of our Holy Weapons against Galette's...Because I have faith in every one of you!" She added, the crowd going nuts down below.

_'Good...She's a brave girl, she just needs to believe in herself a little more.'_ Ichigo thought as he observed her with a small amount of pride.

_'Naruto...Is this how your reign as Hokage would have gone? If so...I would have gladly given my life to your service.'_ Ichigo thought once again.

The princess turned around and addressed her commanders and advisors.

"The battle with be in two days time, giving people enough time to register and gather our forces." She stated as Rolan turned to the elder Hero, the one who had made Biscotti his new home.

"Sir Ichigo...You will lead the Vanguard, the tip of the spear we will ram into Galette's defenses. You have valuable leadership experience and that is something we desperately need to counter General's Godwin and Bernard. I look forward to working alongside you again." The Elder Martinozzi said, the two men shaking hands.

"Likewise. They won't know what hit 'em. We should discuss the strategy a little further, iron out some of the details with all parties present." Ichigo replied, everyone else agreeing with him.

_**TWO DAYS LATER...**_

It was early in the morning and the sun had just barely risen over the horizon. Shinku had just been at the portal sending a message back home when he got to thinking about all that he'd gotten involved in since coming here. He was recieving actual ninja training from a real, honest to God Master Ninja, had a quasi-crush on a cute princess and she seemed to like him, as well. He was an Ordained Hero, along side his ninja sempai/mentor. Now, he was getting ready to head off to fight a war for the princess who summoned them, his sempai having been given command over a company of Knights to spearhead the attack.

"I need to be strong, like sempai...I'll fight like there's no tomorrow!" Shinku vowed as he vaulted onto his Cellkull and thundered off to the staging area.

In the staging areas, over 20,000 troops had assembled there to fight for their country and princess, not counting the regular Knights who were mounted and the shinobi, who were given the task of protecting the main H.Q. As stated the previous day, Ichigo had been charged with leading the Blitzkrieg. He was even given armor to signify his rank as a Knight Commander like Rolan and Brioche, but he opted to wear his usual Konoha Jounin uniform and Battle Coat.

They were all currently mounted and formed up behind him, as were Brioche's and Rolan's troops. Eclaire had to admit that Ichigo filled a gap in their Army that needed filling. They had Rolan to counter General Bernard, Brioche to keep Leo in check, but Godwin was free to do as much damage as he wished. Now, he was their counter to the Lion General, their military strength now equal to Galette's.

A screen that was floating above had flickered to life, showing the princess looking so perky in the morning.

"Hello everyone! Thank you for coming so early in the morning!" She called out cheerfully, the soldiers going nuts with applause.

"Today is the big day...Our battle with Galette! Did everyone get a good night's sleep? Eat your breakfast?" She asked them, the crowd once again thundering their answer as one.

"Okay then! All normal participants, please form up according to the instructions of the Knight Commanders and their Lieutenants." Milihi instructed as they got into rank and file, ready for the battlefield.

Each officer had their own mission to fulfill. They would all push forward together on a united front up until the Chappal Marshlands, where Rolan would peel off and hold. Brioche, Yukikaze, and Ichigo would continue on until the Athletic Valley, where they would stay and fight while Ichigo would commit to the final push and blow open a hole in their HQ's defenses at Grana Fortress, being the very tip of the spear. Their aim was to quickly overwhelm their defenses and not give them time to manuver. All in all, it would be a Blitzkrieg attack, utilizing shock and awe to great effect, something Ichigo specialized in as well as masterful swordsmanship.

"Any troops unable to keep up or feeling under the weather, please feel free to visit the medics that will be accompanying each battalion." Millhi informed them, drawing more cheers. They looked at clock and saw that the time had come to deploy.

"Alright! All troops, assemble and move out!" Millhiore cheered as the troops formed on their battalion leaders and followed them into combat.

Inside the castle, Millhi and Rico turned to faec the elders and the Academy scholars.

"Well, we will be going now. Please guide the country while I'm gone." She asked of the elders.

"Very well...Please be careful out there, Princess." The elders returned.

"Now...Please continue to find a way to send Hero Shinku back home, okay?" Rico asked the scholars.

"That we will!" The three young ladies stated as Rizel and her maids came up.

"Princess, Chief...It is time." She said as Millhiore and Ricotta spoke quietly to each other.

_"Are you ready for THAT plan?"_ Millhi asked. The small girl grinned widely and held up two leaves.

_"Yup! Ready!"_Rico comfirmed as they followed Rizel and her maid detail.

_**AT THE FRONT...**_

_**"This is Percy Gaudy reproting live from the head of the Biscotti forces! I've never seen such a large turn out before! There has to be over 20,000 troopers down there and at the head of all of these brave soldiers are our three strongest warriors, their lieutenants, Countess Martinozzi and Hero Shinku! Countess Brioche d'Arquien, Count Rolan Martinozzi, and Sir Ichigo Uzumaki are leading the charge for our nation! How are things in Galette, Charles?"**_ The news girl announced, cueing her counterpart.

_**"I'm here at Galette's Panneto Castle! A grand total of over 23,000 fighters have assembled and mobilized to the front, being led into battle by our very own Princess Leonmichelle and her two top Generals, Bernard and Godwin! Such a grand army!"**_ Charles announced, scanning the advancing troops.

_**"Oh! It seems as though Prince Gaul and his Genoise have also joined the battle!"**_ The newscaster exclaimed, said people looking at the camera and flexing.

_**"I believe that Biscotti's forces will reach the battle grounds by early this afternoon."**_ Percy estimated.

_**"Got it! For all those watching at home, stay tuned to follow this titanic battle royale! As always...I, Charles Framboise of the Galette Broadcasting Network..."**_

_** "And I...Percy Gaudy of Biscotti News Studios, will be following the action!"**_ The two news anchors stated as they signed off for the time being.

_**GALETTE FRONT LINE**_

The Galette army, over 23,000 strong, were currently marching into combat along a road wide enough to facilitate them. Along the way, the girls of the Genoise began a rather odd conversation.

"Hey Noir, Jaune..." Vert called out to her two friends, who turned their heads to face her.

"I hear that parts of this battlefield won't have any protection whatsoever." Vert told them, worry in her tone.

"The area has been exhaustively scouted and we will only be fighting in the safe areas. There's nothing to worry about." Noir replied.

"Even so, I hear rumors that monsters have been sighted near Grana Fortress. I just have a bad feeling about this. I really don't like monsters!" Jaune confided in her teammates.

"Morons...What's all this about monsters? If one shows up, we'll just cut it down. End of story." Godwin chided, cutting into the conversation.

"That's our General Godwin...Afraid of nothing." Vert commented.

"Then again...Apart from monsters and spirits, demons have been known to appear in areas with little to no protection." Noir stated, making her two friends go a little pale.

"Neither human nor beast, they bear sinister shapes and guises, leaching off of the Flonya power of the land. They bring nothing but misfortune and disaster where ever they go." Noir recalled, causing Jaune and Vert to panic.

"T-that's too scary!" Jaune wimpered.

"No more scary stories!" Vert whined.

"More of this talk of monsters? Don't stories and legends tell of demons and the like being sealed away centuries ago?" Godwin scoffed.

"All of the current investigations and theological research point to that, but people still report seeing them everywhere. However, I have heard reports of people who hunt down and slay these demons and monsters, Demon Hunters." Noir replied to his skepticism.

"Bah...A load of rubbish. Who would believe that bedtime story?" Godwin replied, making Noir frown and sulk.

"But...They do exist. I'm not lying..." Noir pouted.

"General...Don't get her too depressed." Jaune leaned in.

"Yeah...It'll take hours snapping her out of it." Vert added with a dramatic sigh. One could almost see the frustration in the Lion General.

"Like I care about crap like that!" He bellowed.

Further back, Leonmichelle was in silent contemplation on her way to the front, remembering the events that brought them to this day.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_ "What?! Why would Princess Millhiore and her Heroes will die?!" Violle exclaimed._

_ Leo and her two top advisors were in her stargazing room, looking at her oracle mirror. It still displayed the grim end of the young princess and her heroes, the eldest of them at least trying to shield them, but only in vain._

_ "Six months ago, while I was reading the stars, a message came that told of Millhi being in extreme danger." Leonmichelle replied._

_ "I see...That's why you're so concerned about her." Bernard surmised._

_ "Then, three months ago, the message changed...It said that she would die." Leo continued, gripping the mirror hard._

_ "Around that time, I learned that trying to warn her only made things worse. The heroes coming made them worse still. It's not Millhi and the heroes that will die, but the owners of Exelide, Paladion, and the Holy Blade. At first, I was confused about what the third weapon was, but as soon as Sir Ichigo appeared, I instantly recognized the sword." Leo sighed shakily. She turned her head to look at her General and Aide._

_ "I know it seems somewhat foolish to believe in Star Readings. I know it is, that it'd stupid of me to rally my, or others people for this. This vision has been haunting me for the past few months, I just can't stop worrying." Leo concluded._

_ "At least we know why you've been acting so strange." Violle said._

_ "I wish you had at least told us." Bernard sighed._

_ "Sorry...I stand by my convictions that a country shouldn't be run on divinations, but if they die...It will be the beginning of the end for both our countries. Given these circumstances...i will step down from the throne." Leo declared, making her Aide and General jump with surprize._

_ "What?!" They cried._

_ "I will borrow Granveil and see what I can do about it myself. If I can steal those weapons, the star heralding their deaths may pass them by." She reasoned._

_ "To leave the throne empty...What would happen to Galette?!"__Her aide exclaimed._

_ "I will leave it to Gaul. It was supposed to be his anyway. I am only regent until he comes of age. He still has some growign up to do, but he has our father's charisma. Give him some responsibility, along with some solid support, he will be the leader Galette needs one day." Leo explained._

_ "I know a good deal about his character..." Bernard started._

_ "But it's entirely unrelated to your stepping down!" Violle tried to reason with her, only for Leo to spin around and clamp her ears down._

_ "Come on, Princess Leo! Don't just shut us out!" Violle yelled._

_ "Erg...Once she's like this, she won't listen to anything we say." Bernard grumbled._

_ "Princess Leo! You shouldn't do that!" Violle scolded, but was met with further silence, making them groan in frustration._

_ "Oh dear..." Bernard sighed again as he scarmbled for an idea she would listen to. Suddenly, one came to him._

_ "How about this...Why don't we initiate one huge, popular battle, wagering the prized weapons as the reward?" He suggested. Her ears perked up, telling him that it was working._

_ "Our soldiers are clamoring to redeem themselves after losing two consecutive battles and Lord only knows Godwin and yourself are chomping at the bit for a rematch. I think this is a golden opportunity to wage a new war." Bernard explained him plan as she turned around to give him her undivided attention, blushing at the opportunity to face her crush once more._

_ "Once we defeat them, we can take their weapons and hide them away in a place no one knows about. Of course, this is only to prevent theft, since these are extremely powerful weapons we're talking about, and completely unrelated to the Star Readings. Just a simple proposal from one country to another. How's that?" Bernard finished._

_**FLASHBACK END...**_

_'That was sheer genius on Bernard's part...'_ Leo grinned as she and her troops continued their march towards the front lines.

_**BACK WITH THE BISCOTTI TROOPS**_...

The Princess's carriage was proceeeding on it's planned route to the front as a newscaster cart with Percy and her cameraman pulled alongside.

_**"Our troops are making good time to the front lines. Princess Millhiore is alos making good time, protected by her knights. Her favorite steed, Harlan, is also doing well...Ah! The princess is waving at us! Hello, Princess!" **_Percy exclaimed.

On a cliff that overlooked the procession, Violle and her squadron of Imperial Guards we looking down at them, waiting for the right time to strike.

"An assualt such as this is against the rules of conduct. It'll be bad enough if only _I_ am criticized for this cowardly action, but..." Violle lamented, but a voice from behind her cut in.

"Even so...We will still follow you. We of the Imperial Guard, will follow you anywhere, Lady Violle." The young woman declared, the rest of her number agreeing whole heartedly.

"Right! Today's mission will be raiding and looting the enemy's main camp! Our primary target will be the Holy Weapon Exelide, which we will steal from Princess Millhiore herself!" Violle declared as they made ready to spring their trap.

At the head of the pack, we find the three adults, Eclaire, Yukikaze, and Shinku all riding along toward the front when Brioche makes a comment.

"Teaming up again, Eclaire and Shinku?" She asked.

"Yes...I'd rather not, but I need to look out for this dummy." Eclaire sighed, making Shinku sulk.

"How mean..." He muttered, making Yuki next to him giggle.

"Now, now...You two should get along, Shinku." Brioche teased.

"Why are you tell _me_ this? She's always barking at me!" Shinku whined.

"Quit whining...It's because you're always doing something stupid." Eclaire replied with a light huff.

"Stupid things?" Brioche wondered, looking to her lover as he shook his head and sighed, cueing Yuki to respond.

"During their first time teaming up, Shinku grabbed her breasts and stripped her naked." Yuki replied, fanning the flames.

"Really now?" Brioche answered, almost busting out laughing at the looks on their faces.

"Wait! It's a misunderstanding!" The two teens replied in unison until Eclaire looked over to Yuki.

"Wait a minute...How do you know about that?!" She yelped.

"Oh...Rico showed me the video." Yuki replied with a sly grin.

"Oh my...That was very bold of you, Shinku. I hope you take responsibility and marry her." Brioche teased him, making him go red as a lobster.

"That's not all...During a sparring session between the two of them a few days after the rescue incident, he pressed his forehead to hers in a rather intimate manner, suggesting that she slept with her stomach exposed." Ichigo added, dumping fuel on the fire.

"SEMPAI/SIR ICHIGO!" Shinku and Eclaire exclaimed loudly as she started to kick him, remembering both times.

"Ow! Cut it out! Why are you kicking me?!" Shinku whined as he pulled away from her while the adults talked.

"'Cause your face pisses me off!" She yelled back.

"I really should look into having Hero Shinku as a future groom for Eclaire. They get along so well." Rolan commented.

"They look like they would work together well enough." Brioche added.

"Yes, My Lady." Yuki answered.

"However...I am still worried about the demons." Brioche confided.

"Hmm...The skies look good and there is a protective wind blowing all around us. Even Konoha doesn't sense anything." Yuki replied, trying to assauge her worries as they continued on their way to the venue.

_**BATTLEFRONT...**_

_**"It is now afternoon and both armies have arrived at the established frontline and are now lining up for combat at the starting signal."**_ The announcer stated, both armies gearing up for that initial charge.

"Listen up...While the others are busy securing ground and bridges, we will be charging ahead, cutting straight through them and pushing as far as we can." Ichigo instructed them, Shinku and Eclaire nodding as she turned to the Knights behind them, Ricotta cloistered in the middle of their ranks.

"Artillery...You won't need to fire. Just protect Rico and follow us!" Eclaire instructed, all of them, even Rico herself, rogering up.

_**"Thank you all for waiting. The battle will begin any moment now! I am Evita Sales from Biscotti State Broadcasting and I will be bringing you all of the live action with my co-host..." **_The female anchor announced, cueing her co-host.

_**"Jan Kazo, from Galette National TV."**_ The male host introduced himself.

_**"The countdown will now begin! Everyone down on the battlefield and watching from home, please countdown with us."**_ Evita asked, everyone eager to see this grand battle kicked off.

_**"3...2...1...START!"**_ The pair announced as both sides barked orders.

"All troop, advance!" Rolan ordered, having his soldiers rush in to meet their enemies.

"Warriors of Galette, attack!" Bernard barked to his troops, the wall of Galette warriors rushing in behind him.

Literal tidal waves of soldiers rushed at each other, to meet in battle. Ichigo turned to his squad.

"Alright...It's time to go. Follow me and don't let them bog you down!" Ichigo barked out.

"Got it, Sempai!" Shinku acknowledged eagerly, knowing his sempai knew what he was talking about.

"Yes!" Eclaire stated as they thundered ahead of the main force, knowing that with his experience, this would go much more smoothly.

As they darted ahead of the main forces, they managed to slip right past most of the opposition, but a wild looking squad caught sight of them and bore down on them.

"Gotcha! Surround 'em!" One of them yelled, more of the burly and rough looking soldiers bearing down upon them.

"It's not as you said!" Shinku yelped.

"No plan survives contact with the enemy! Keep going!" Ichigo ordered.

"Fire the arrows! Don't let them breathe!" The Captain ordered to his archer to fire.

A rain of arrows poured down on them as Shinku and Eclaire prepared to use their Seal Arts, but Ichigo stopped them.

"Save your strength, I've got this." He assured them as he wove through a set of three handseals.

_**FUUTON : DAITOPPA!**_

Using the Great Breakthrough, he managed to blow the arrows away from them using minimal chakra, but this lapse in their attention allowed the wild looking men to get close.

"Die, heroes!" One of them bellowed with a manic look in his eyes. Before the young ones could even blink, their shinobi guardian had already intercepted them in midair, dispatching them with ease.

"C'mon...Let's go!" He yelled, getting them to follow him again, more of the Knights following them, whooping wildly.

"Stopping us won't gain you anything. If you don't get out of our way, I'll turn you all into furballs!" Eclaire stated angrily, one of them getting ahead of her and cutting her off.

"Can't have that can we, Droopy-Ears?" A scarred soldier taunted as the apparent leader rode up.

"We have orders to retrieve Paladion and the Holy Blade the other hero carries." He announced.

"Yeah...Princess Leo will give us a _huge_ reward if we bring them to her!" Another sneered.

"So that makes you...Useless." The first sneered as he prepared to take her out, but he was cut down from behind, the group quickly following him as Eclaire and Shinku took that opening to strike, defeating them all in a flash.

"You want it so badly? Pry it from my cold, dead fingers first." Ichigo commented coldly, his eyes having a cold fire burning in them as he rounded on the archers who fired the volley and the rest of the troops.

"Eclaire, Shinku...Use a Seal Cannon shot after I fire off my jutsu." He commanded, the two getting charged up.

_**DOTON : SHINRIN NO IWADO YARI!**_

Finishing his handseals and slamming both palms to the ground, the very ground erupted into a literal forest of stone spires that eliminated over half of the 60 archers and 50 troops in one shot while at the same time, the two teens released their Seal Cannon blasts which mopped up the rest of them.

"This is bad...They're targeting our weapons!" Shinku exclaimed.

"I know! Something's not right, but we need to continue with the battleplan! Use another weapon, I'll seal up my Ensis Celesti and use the Fang. Let's go!" Ichigo ordered as he sent his mount back to the stables since he can keep up on foot and unsheathed his trusty chokuto, the two teens nodding and following his lead. Shinku had picked up a Galetteian Battle Glaive as his new weapon as they continued thundering towards their objective.

_**"Things are really heating up out there! The two armies have already clashed and the points on both sides have jumped tremendously! Dame d'Arquien, after two years of absence from the battlefield, is just as strong if not stronger than she was before! Dame Panettone is also sweeping the battlefield clean of her enemies with her still beautiful skills! The newcomer hero and from what we have heard, new resident of Biscotti Ichigo Uzumaki is showing splendid leadership skills as well as a tremendous fighting spirit as he mows down every enemy in his way! The people they have defeated are really piling up!"**_ Jan announced.

_**"But that's a problem. The quicker they are defeated, the sooner they can rejoin the battle, am I right?"**_ Evita pointed out.

_**"Ah, that's right. Even if defeated once, everyone should be able to enjoy these battles to the fullest." **_Jan replied.

_**"Now...Down to Percy on the frontlines. Percy?"**_ Evita asked.

_**"Hello! I'm here with Captains Rolan Martinozzi and Ichigo Uzumaki, leading the way for Chief Elmar, Hero Shinku, and the rest of their forces as they advance through the Chappal Marshlands!"**_ The perky girl reported.

_**"Framboise here! Prince Gaul's forces have just passed by my position, en route to Cerise Fortress! It's very uncommon for the Prince to strike from behind like this."**_ Charles commented.

_**AT CERISE FORTRESS...**_

"Everyone! Protect the princess! Let no one through!" A guard captain ordered to his troops as Millhi sat in her command tent, awaiting news from the front. Suddenly someone called out from the outside.

"Princess, I bring urgent news. An emmisary from Galette has come with a message for you." The voice requested.

The guards insied looked to her for instruction. She nodded to let the person inside the tent. once they did that, Violle stormed the tent, knocking out two guards in her way, two of her subordinates finishing the rest and holding the maids at bay as she knelt before Millhi.

"I apologize for this cowardly action, but I have my orders. Princess Millhiore, please hand over Exelide." Violle stated, but the answer she got made her eyes go wide.

"Um...Sorry, but I'm not the princess." _Millhi_ replied.

She was engulfed in smoke and when it cleared, Ricotta was in her place, dropping the disguise. Without warning, the maids moved quicker than they could react and took the Imperial Guardswomen down, dropping their transformations to reveal Kaede and Kotaro, who had been hiding in plain sight and waiting for this to happen.

"W-what?!" Violle exclaimed. Before she herself could even blink, Rizel appeared at her side, a blade to her throat.

"Best not to move." She suggested in a sickly sweet tone she was infamous for.

"Ano sa...Don't sound so shocked Violle-dono. You don't have a monopoly on trickery, you know?" Kaede quipped playfully.

"Mendokuse...It's hard pretending to be a girl. I got hit on at least three times!" Kotaro complaied.

"But you were such a cute girl, Kotaro-kun." Kaede replied jokingly, making the male nin deflate even more as Rizel sheathed her sword skillfully.

"I'll go make us some tea. The least we can do is hear you out, yes?" The head maid suggested. As she left to go do that, Rico stomped down on the plunger for her signal flare.

_**BACK ON THE FRONT...**_

The Vanguard group saw the signal go up and knew what it meant.

"So. She really did try that. Looks like your call was dead on." Ichigo commented, dropping in next to them as Millhi dropped her disguise.

"I'm afraid so. Princess Leo is hiding something from me and I tire of these secrets kept from me, especially after that fiasco with Izumo. I want to know what she means by trying to obtain our Holy Weapons. We will go to Grana Fortress and drag the secrets out of her if necessary." Millhi declared, her determination blazing.

"Got it!" Shinku affirmed as he and Eclaire urged their mounts after her while their shinobi ran along the top of the canyon to watch for any ambushes along the way.

_**AT GRANA FORTRESS**_

Rouge and Leo were overlooking the battlefield as the head maid knelt behind the princess.

"Princess...I'm afraid that Lady Violle's attack on Biscotti's HQ was a failure and that she and her troops are now captives. It seems as though they were expecting this from us and mobilized two of their more powerful ninja to act as guards." Rouge informed her Princess, who sighed in disappointment.

"I see...How about Gaul?" She asked.

"He is attacking the rear guard with his troops as ordered...But it seems as though he has no enthusiasm for this battle." Rouge told her.

"That's okay..." Leo sighed as the fighting went on.

_**BACK AT BISCOTTI H.Q...**_

Gaul had discovered that Millhi wasn't there after all, so he decided to let his troops and himself have a little fun, letting the rear defenses have it with both barrels. Their opening attack left a gaping hole in their defenses as Rizel and Rico prepared for the next leg of the battle plan. She was to ride Harlan out to the front and meet up with the Princess, but Galette had archers down there ready to pick her off. The head maid ordered her girls, some of which were skilled archers, provide her with cover fire as she took off from the platform. She managed to get through the first wave of arrows, but down on the ground, Vert had already taken aim and fired a much stronger arrow. Rico used her gun in an attempt to block the shot, but it slipped around her defenses and hit her squarely, stripping her of her clothes in the process, much to the enjoyment of the viewers and onlookers below. She may have been hit, but she and Harlan managed to continue onward.

"Got 'er!" Vert cheered, but her victory was short lived.

Screaming directly at them was a powerfully charged lance that they saw coming only too late, the lancing impacting dead center of their formation. The rest of the archers had been changed into furballs already, but Vert was the only one still standing. She let out a sigh of relief, but without fail, everyone still present and conscious was treated to a show as all of her clothes save for her lime green bra and panties ripped away.

"Gah!" She squealed as he scrambled to cover herself.

"Chief Rico...Your sacrifice was not in vain. Galette archer group wiped out." Emilio, who threw the lance, stated as he engaged the forces himself.

_**A/N: I'm afraid I have to stop here for now. I've been having some personal troubles as of late, and that has been taking up much of my time. I will tell you this, that I will not abandon my fics. You have my promise on that.**_


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